
Taco Salad with Pinquito Beans
Ingredients
Scale
Bean mixture
- 1 TBS avocado oil
- 1 white onion, diced small
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, minced
- 1/2 cup quinoa or rice (optional) and 1 cup water
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried or fresh oregano
- 2 cups pinquito beans, cooked
- about 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste.
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped (divided)
Dressing
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 TBS red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Salad
- 1 head lettuce, washed and torn
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese (optional)
- 1 tortilla, cut into strips and fried (optional)
Instructions
- 1- You’ll want to soak the pinquito beans overnight and cook them the day before. A faster way is to cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker, if you have one, for 13-15 minutes and let them rest in the pressure cooker for another 15 minutes. I like to put a pinch of epazote in my beans to make them more digestible; if you don’t have any, you can add a pinch of baking soda before cooking them.
- 2- Heat a cast iron skillet and add the 1 TBS oil. Add the onion and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the jalapeno, garlic, and mushrooms, and continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- 3- If you are using quinoa or rice, now is the time. Add it to the skillet along with the 1 cup water and the spices. Let everything bubble and cook together for 15 minutes. Then turn off the flame and cover the pan. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- 4- Stir the beans into the skillet and stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes to marry the flavors. Add salt to taste, and stir in half the cilantro.
- 5- In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and remaining cilantro to use as a dressing. Arrange your lettuce on a bowl or platter, and top decoratively with the bean mixture, the tomatoes, the cheese (optional), and the crispy tortilla strips (also optional).
Notes
- You can dress this salad up with drizzles of sour cream and hot sauce, and get luxurious by adding diced avocado if you please.