I have to be honest with you - I never ate black beans growing up in our American-Armenian household. Nor had I ever heard-of – or - seen black beans used in any of my family’s Armenian recipes.
So, why am I posting a recipe featuring black beans? ‘Cause I like them, and they make a perfectly delicious salad - and more.
Today's offering, Black Bean Salad, can be transformed into yummy black bean burgers by adding about ½ cup (or more) of flour to the mix, smashing ½ cup-worth of the bean mixture, adding it back to the bowl and mixing it all together. Then shape the mix into 8 patties, chill for 15 minutes, and pan fry them on both sides in a little oil. Serve with the spicy yogurt sauce, and you’ll have a hearty, healthy meal!
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| Black Bean Salad |
Black Bean Salad with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, drained, may be substituted if fresh tomatoes are unavailable.)
1/2 cup red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (flat-leaf parsley may be substituted)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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| Spicy Yogurt Sauce |
Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 to 3 tsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped (flat-leaf parsley may be substituted)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Dash of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes before serving allowing time for flavors to develop.
NOTE: This recipe can easily be doubled.
To Serve: Garnish the black bean salad with a dollop of yogurt sauce.
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| Black Bean Burgers with Spicy Yogurt Sauce |