Black Bean Salads

I am never without at least one can of black beans in my pantry (pantry = two empty cardboard wine cases stuffed under my counter). Black beans are the perfect food- I put them in chilies or stews or make black bean soup, mash them up in quesadillas, and of course, many many versions of rice and beans.

Black beans are like, the healthiest thing ever. Really low in fat (and the little they do have is “good fat”), and the whole can is about 300 calories. They have a glycemic index of 30, which measures the effect of the food on insulin production. Higher means more work for your pancreas, more insulin resistance, more type II diabetes. For comparison, pasta has a glycemic index of 60, high fructose corn syrup has a GI of 90. 20 is about the lowest you can get, for things like broccoli, lettuce, spinach…. The low GI is due to lots of protein and soluble fiber, both of which slow absorption and therefore slow insulin response. Because fiber just passes through the body, it takes with it lots of bad shit like excess bile acids, cholesterol, and random toxins. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that the darker the bean’s coat, the higher the antioxidant content. The antioxidant levels in black beans are comparable to those of pomegranate, red wine, and blueberries. The polyphenols in the beans work as antioxidants in the bloodstream, neutralizing the free radicals that damage cholesterol and cause it to form plaque inside blood vessels. The high levels of folate in black beans has been shown to lower homocystine levels, reducing the risk of heart attacks, while the magnesium present in black beans inhibits the calcium channel (you know, both being in the second column of the periodic table and all…) which lowers tension in blood vessels, increasing flow of blood and oxygen. I also think it’s kind of cute that rice and beans together give the equivalent of a complete protein; in other words, all the amino acids we need to get from our diet, or the protein equivalent of steak.

But in the summer my favorite thing to do with black beans is toss them with various other stuff to make black bean salads. This usually means taking this uber healthy low GI food and mixing it with something sweeter.

Black beans and corn are not just delicious together, they also look gorgeous. Something about the beans and corn kernels being exactly the same size and shape makes the salad look very professional and aesthetically pleasing. I mix together

a handful of coarsely chopped cilantro
3 thinly sliced scallions (white and light green parts)
a teaspoon of cumin
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
juice from 1 lime

Toss that with
a can of black beans, rinsed
cup of corn kernels (frozen is totally legit but fresh corn right off the cob is great, especially if you have some leftover)
a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved.

This is fine, but it’s really better with some heat. Ideally, one or two finely chopped jalapenos make a great addition, but I am lazy and I hate chopping jalapenos. (The capsaicin, the compound that makes them spicy, will get all over your hands and up under your nails, about half an hour later your hands will start to burn and it will hurt like a bitch. If you have touched your eyes, nose, mouth, any other sensitive place, it will be burning as well. Have fun with that.) Instead, I like to use the jarred, pre-chopped jalapenos that you find next to the pickles. Yes, that is cheating. A few spoonfuls of that work beautifully, and won’t go bad or give you salmonella. This is a great thing to have in your fridge for guacamole or salsa or whatever. Hot sauce works too- the green Tabasco sauce is great and even Sriacha is not bad.

Mango is also delicious with black beans. Diced mango, diced red pepper, cilantro, scallion, olive oil and lime juice and hot pepper or hot sauce make another version of the black bean salad above. Both are some of the best summer dishes I make, because they’re so well balanced, with elements of sweet, spicy, sour, salt, and savory. Great with a piece of fish or chicken (grilled shrimp are yummy), on top of some chopped lettuce (which I had for lunch Monday and loved), mixed with rice, wrapped up in a tortilla, or by themselves.