Salad Ingredients:
1 c dried organic black beans, cooked & cooled; yield: 2 c cooked black beans
8 cups broccoli, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 organic apple, cored & diced, I like to leave the skin on (chose your favorite apple - mine is Cameo)
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
Combine all salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Dressing Ingredients:
2 tbsps local honey (vegan option: use vegan sweetener of your choice)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c low fat, plain organic yogurt (vegan option: use vegan yogurt)
juice of 1 naval orange
juice of 1 lime
Add all dressing ingredients in small bowl. Combine well with wisk.
Pour the dressing over the salad. Using a spoon or spatula, combine well. Transfer to container with tight-fitting lid. This salad is best after it's allowed to sit for several hours. Place in fridge. Shake occasionally - this is why a tight-fitting lid is a must! Let sit at least 3-4 hours before serving. I find this is really better after one day.
Variations on the salad:
Try a hand-full of raisins, currants, or other dried fruit.
Substitute diced pears for apples.
Try substituting toasted pecans, walnuts, or other nuts for the pine nuts.
Try switching out 1/2 of the black beans for long grain wild rice, quinoa, or another grain.
Substitute red/purple or sweet vidalia onions for yellow onions.
Variations on the dressing:
Experiment with different types of vinegar: balsamic, red wine, apple cider, etc.
Add 1-2 tbsp of your favorite mustard.
Add the juice of 1 lemon instead of lime.
The possibilites are nearly endless! Have fun! Happy Cooking! :)
Enjoy!
