Hot and Cold Bean Salad in Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of Cannellini beans (400gm)
• 2 Celery sticks
• 1 Red bell pepper
• 1 Yellow bell pepper
• 1 Ripe avocado
• 1 Cucumber (medium)
• Mint leaves (handful)
• Coriander leaves (handful)

Salad dressing:

• 70 ml Ready made tomato juice
• 25-30 ml Lime juice
• 1-2 tbsp Flax seed oil
• Lemon thyme (few sprigs)
• 2 Garlic pods (small)
• 1 Thai red chili
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper powder (to taste)

Lettuce Prep:

• Whole iceberg lettuce leaves or gem lettuce leaves : 3-4
• Wash and trim the edges of the leaves.
• 1/2 hour before serving time, take a large bowl of cold water and add ice cubes.
• Plunge the lettuce leaves in this ice cold water.

Method

1. Wash and chop the veggies. Keep the chopped avacado in a seperate bowl. Refrigerate rest of the veggies.
2. Wash the mint and coriander leaves and chop coarsely
3. Grate the garlic finely.
4. De-seed and chop the red chili.
5. Finely chop the lemon thyme sprigs.
6. Mix all the ingredients given for the salad dressing and refrigerate.

Assemble and serve:

1. In a large bowl add the chopped veggies except avocado, mint and coriander leaves.
2. Add half the dressing and mix two to three times.
3. Drain and rinse the beans to get rid of the excessive salt. Add fresh water (just enough to barely cover the beans).
4. Cook in microwave high for 4-5 mins until pipping hot.
5. Add this to the veggie mix along with the avacado and toss once.
6. Serve immediately in the chilled lettuce cups along with the reserved salad dressing.

Notes:

• Avocado can turn mushy if mixed at the beginning and will not look and taste nice.
• It is important to serve the dressing chilled even if the salad is at room temperature. The reason being, flax seed oil contains more than 50% of good fats (omega 3 and omega 6) which gets destroyed when heated. Even though this is a healthy oil,1-2 tbsp is enough as it does comes with more or less the same amount of calories as the others. If this oil is unavailable, use olive oil or peanut oil for a smoky tasty.

Points to remember:

• Buy fresh vegetables and cut them before 20 minutes or so before serving time.
• Refrigerate all the vegetables added in this salad before and after cutting them until serving time.
• Add as many colorful vegetables as possible.