Black bean and watercress salad
This avocado black bean salad with a Bloody Mary inspired dressing and chopped tomatoes is a great side for a barbecue feast.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 100g/3½oz watercress or similar salad leaves
- 400g/14oz tin black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 sticks celery, very finely sliced
- 250g/9oz mixed tomatoes, roughly chopped
- handful freshly chopped herbs, such as coriander, mint, basil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For the dressing
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp chipotle chilli paste
- splash Worcestershire sauce (or a similar vegetarian alternative – see tip)
Method
Put the red onion in one bowl and the avocado in another. Sprinkle both with salt, then add the juice of half a lime to each bowl and the lime zest to the avocado. Mix thoroughly and set aside for half an hour.
To make the dressing, put the tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process again.
Drain the red onions and add the liquid to the dressing. Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.
To assemble, put the salad leaves in a large bowl. Add the black beans, celery and tomatoes. Add the avocado and herbs then pour over half the dressing and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle with the red onions and serve, drizzled with the remaining dressing.
Recipe Tips
Most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies so it's not suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but some less-common brands are vegetarian, so it's worth checking the label.
