Summer Bean Salad

I don't usually like beans, but in the summertime, I like to eat chilled bean salads.  Each bean salad I make is different, based on what I have in the pantry and the fridge.  Tonight, we had nothing prepared for dinner, so I threw together a bean salad to eat with some bread, and it was delicious.  It would be even better when allowed to chill and marinate further in the fridge:

Summer Bean Salad:

Salad Ingredients:

1 can black beans

1 can cannellini beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 jalepeno, seeded and diced finely

1 avocado, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

I also added some summer corn that we had grilled earlier this week.  You could also add a can of corn, but fresh summer corn is wonderful!

Dressing:

1/3 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon or lime (whichever you have)

2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I like tangy dressing, so I usually add more, rather than less, vinegar.)

2-3 tablespoons honey (add more or less to taste.)

Salt and pepper

Whisk together all ingredients for dressing.   Drain and rinse all beans.  In a large bowl, combine beans with rest of salad ingredients and pour prepared dressing on top.  Gently stir together (so you don't smash the avocado!).  Chill, eat and enjoy!  This recipe makes quite a lot, but this salad keeps for a few days in the fridge.