Spicy Bean Salad

This salad is quick to prepare, tastes delicious and is very efficient on the being-healthy-and-lowering-cholesterol front... Is especially tasty when wrapped up in a tortilla, and served with some tomato or cucumber salad. Oh, and a big dollop of natural yoghurt.

Ingredients

  • 1 Onion
  • Red Chilli
  • 2 or 3 Cloves Garlic
  • Ground Cumin
  • Chilli or Cayenne Powder
  • 1 – 2 400g Tins of Beans (Borlotti, Haricot, Butter, Cannellini etc)
  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon or Lime Juice or Balsamic Vinegar
  • Fresh Herbs (to serve)

Chop an Onion; Crush or finely chop 2 or 3 cloves Garlic; Chop as much fresh Red Chilli as you think is good… maybe half?!  Drain the beans

Heat a pan, add a little Olive Oil and fry the Onions over a high heat until they are starting to soften (2 to 4 minutes)

Turn the heat down slightly and add the Garlic and the Chilli – and keep stirring so they don’t catch (burnt garlic is never good)

After a minute or so, add the drained Beans

Also add a pinch or two of Ground Cumin and an extra pinch of Chilli or Cayenne Powder if you like beans super spicy!

[If you have time to pre-toast some Cumin Seeds in a pan, and then grind them in a pestle & mortar, that would be even better than Ground Cumin]

Stir…  Cook the Beans for a few minutes, not stirring too often so that they slightly catch some colour

Serve warm with some Lime/Lemon juice OR a tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar drizzled over the Beans, and some freshly chopped Herbs on top (Basil, Parsley, Chervil, Chives, Coriander are all good)

A sprinkle of Salt and Pepper at the last moment are good too

This Bean Salad is excellent with a lamb chop, or with some flatbread and salad

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