Bean Salad

This is the first of the recipes from my Oregon beach house trip. I got to spend the weekend with my roommates from college and we took turns with the meals while there. Although everything was absolutely delicious, I think this may have been my favorite...I couldn't stop eating it! I loved everything about it - the pretty colors, the crunchy peppers, the creamy cheese and avocado, the tang from the limes, etc. This is perfect to share for lunch and filling enough to be dinner too. We ate it with tortilla chips, but you can serve it over rice, in tacos or quesadillas, or whatever your heart desires.

recipe from Liz
(originally from Lisa Phillips)
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can olives, sliced
1 can, or 2 cups frozen, corn
1 yellow, orange, and red pepper chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 avocados, leave pit in salad (it's supposed to prevent it from browning)
1/2 cup - 1 cup feta cheese
pine nuts (optional, we didn't have)
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 limes, squeezed
1/4 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs salt

Directions:
Mix the salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the dressing and pour over salad. Mix gently and enjoy! (If you want to prepare ahead of time, just leave out the avocados and feta and mix those in with the dressing at the end)

I also had to include this pictures because Sara had arranged the sand dollars so nicely around the bowl :-). We were in full sunlight outside so the pics didn't turn out great.