Linguica Bean Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing
July 03, 2015
If you are looking to up your protein intake, beans are definitely your friends.
100g/3.5oz of black beans delivers around 22g/ .8oz of protein, which is comparable to 100g/3.5oz of chicken delivering 25g/.9oz of protein. Whilst beans don't contain the amino acids present in meat, they are a great way of including a decent portion of protein for meals where meat is not the star of the show.
Aside from the healthy stuff, they are also delicious, have a great hearty texture and can be coaxed into pretty much any kind of recipe or flavour profile.
This salad can be served freshly made and warm, or cold from the fridge so is great for to-go lunches, or served alongside a green salad and topped with an egg for a tasty dinner.
Ingredients:
15oz/425g can pinto beans
2oz/60g linguica or chorizo
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped mint
Juice of a whole lemon
3 tablespoons good olive oil- that tastes great and isn't just for cooking
Salt and pepper
Method:
Drain the beans and rinse them of any sugar water they've been preserved in.
Finely dice the linguica or chorizo, removing any skin or casing. Fry the meat on a gentle heat, if you're using a raw sausage continue until the meat is cooked throughly and a little browned. If your using a fully cured or cooked sausage, just heat until it's a little browned and the flavouring oils are released.
Turn out the heat then pour over the olive oil. You want the oil to infuse with the chorizo/linguica spices, not for the meat to fry in the oil. The residual warmth of the pan will help with the flavouring, the cold oil stopping the cooking process.
In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Scoop in the sausage and oil whilst it's still warmish, then tumble in the beans and mix well before serving.
The salad will keep in the fridge for a couple of days and is also a delicious base to a roasted loin of cod!
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