A delicious side dish for any of your summer meals. Black beans, feta, basil, red onion, and tomato salad goes great with anything and everything. I recently made it for a family gathering, and it went over really well. Having said that, I thought I’d share the latin fusion with all of you. Spread the love, you know!
Being Latin American, I am crazy about black beans.
They’re not only delicious and versatile, but healthy too. They’re chock full of fiber, protein and antioxidants. I told you they were healthy! Black beans are native to the Central America and Mexico. Archaeologists believe that black beans are one of the first legumes to be cultivated. They’ve been grown for over 5000 years.
Flavor and texture
This black bean salad is earthy, has salty feta, plus sweet and savory basil. It’s a true kaleidoscope.
This awesome salad can double up as a relish for broiled fish, or can be eaten with tortilla chips. BTW, if you love black beans as much as I do you might want to check out my recipe for mango black bean salsa, just saying.
This salad is one of the easiest things I’ve ever made. All you need to do is chop and mix. You can make this dish in about 30 minutes or less depending on your chopping skills. I like to use the basil from my garden. I haven’t managed to kill it yet. Down the street from my house are two farm stands with red and juicy tomatoes. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Here are the step by step photos to make this salad and dressing:
- Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready. Chop, measure, drain and rinse the beans then have them all set to go.
- In a large bowl mix together the black beans, feta cheese, basil, red onion and tomatoes.
- Mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Kosher salt, oregano, thyme, lemon juice and Dijon mustard.
- Whisk vigorously until well combined. Tip: If you are taking this dish to a picnic keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve.
- Add the dressing to the salad, mix to combine and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long will this last and can I make it ahead? You can make this dish 1 day ahead of serving but do not add the dressing until ready to serve. It is always best as fresh as possible.
- Can I freeze this dish? Do not freeze this dish as it will will be completely wilted and soggy when thawed.
- How long will it last in the refrigerator? After you have added the dressing and have some left, I have eaten this the following day and it is still very crisp and fresh. More than 1 day old it will not be nearly as crisp and will needed tossed.
- Can I make my bean salad Mexican? Not per se, but feel free to add spice.
Black beans, feta, basil, red onion, and tomato salad is my new go to picnic dish.
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Black Beans, Feta, Basil, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad
You will love this black bean, feta, basil, red onion and tomato salad. Try a great cool summer salad with bright herb flavors of basil and thyme.
Ingredients
- 15 oz black beans 1 can, drained, rinsed
- 1/3 cup feta crumbled
- 10-12 basil fresh, cut into strips
- 1 Roma tomatoes cored, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion dices
Dressing
- 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp oregano dried
- 1/4 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- To prepare the salad:
- In a large bowl, mix together the black beans, feta cheese, basil, red onion, and tomatoes.
- For the dressing:
- In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Kosher salt, oregano, thyme, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard until all ingredients are well blended.
- Pour over the bean mixture and mix until ingredients are well coated.
- Chill until ready to use.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long will this last and can I make it ahead? You can make this dish 1 day ahead of serving but do not add the dressing until ready to serve. It is always best as fresh as possible.
- Can I freeze this dish? Do not freeze this dish as it will will be completely wilted and soggy when thawed.
- How long will it last in the refrigerator? After you have added the dressing and have some left, I have eaten this the following day and it is still very crisp and fresh. More than 1 day old it will not be nearly as crisp and will needed tossed.
- Can I make my bean salad Mexican? Not per se, but feel free to add spice.
Michelle
I absolutely love salads like this! And I adore white balsamic! (I have a slight vinegar addiction…I have a whole cabinet of vinegars, mostly different kind of balsamics!) Your salad looks delicious, Analida!
Analida
Thanks Michelle! Wow, a whole cabinet of vinegars!!!!!!!Hope you get to try the salad.
Kristen Chidsey
Analida–you know how much I love feta and black beans. This is totally my kind of dish!
Analida
LOL Kristen! I hope you like it! It’s so healthy and refreshing.
Liv @ Healthy Liv
Looks SO yummy! Love all of the bright colors and feta cheese makes every salad better! Just pinned and yummed.
Analida
Thanks Liv!!!
Yes, it is pretty and tasty.
Sheila
Hi Analida! I just made this recipe last week. It was a hit with my family. Thank you so much for sharing. xo
Analida
Hi Sheila! Thanks so much for commenting. I am so glad your family liked it. Take care. XO to you too!
Mindy
Goodness, this salad is right up my alley! I was never a black beans kinda girl until I moved to NC. Now I love them! This is going to be delish, I just know it! 🙂
Analida
Mindy, I think you will love it. It’s great anytime of year. I just made some for a party I had the other night. I had some Irish guests, and they loved it too. Let me know how you like it.
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant
I have everything but the tomatoes in my pantry right now! I should throw this together for dinner!!
Analida
Yes, you should. Let me know how you like it.
Jennifer Farley
This is my perfect salad.
Analida
Thanks Jennifer. We love it at home.
Lynne
This looks like an amazing side dish for summer!!
Analida
Hi Lynne!
Thanks for commenting. Yes, it is so good and refreshing. Hope you get to enjoy it.
Rita
I love the flavors in this dish!
Analida
Thank you Rita!
Joy Pab
Certainly, the salad will be very easy for you to prepare as a pro. I hope to also find it interesting by working with your recipe this coming weekend. Thanks Analida, you always have something great to offer.
Analida
Thanks so much Joy! Let me know how you like it!
Colleen
This salad has it all going on! It looks delicious and I could have it as a meal in itself. Great for picnics, too! Thanks for sharing.
Analida
I love to take this salad along to picnics. Keep it cool and add the dressing when you serve. Thanks!
Wanda G Bridges
awesome salad!! thanks
Analida
Thanks Wanda! I am so glad you liked it!