Mexican Pinto Bean Salad

What a long weekend it has been! We feel like we've barely seen each other, since I've been out of the house for seemingly the entire time. I began my weekend on Saturday morning with a conference call for an alumni affinity group I'm president of, which was quickly followed by heading to a Williamsburg Symphonia concert that I had served on the planning committee for. When I got to the performance location, we were trying to pull off all set-up/rehearsal/concert in one day, between 8AM and the start of the concert at 8PM. The staging/sound/lights was probably the most challenging part and thankfully I didn't have much to do with that - I got to set tables,  tend to musicians needs and then sit back and enjoy the show! The committee did a great job and the whole thing was wonderful-start to finish.


Then Sunday, I was at the office to a retreat with my student group, before shuffling down to Newport News for rehearsal. It was somewhat of a shame because it felt like fall out today! But that's okay - all very worthwhile ventures this weekend and I'm happy to be sitting here relaxing before inevitably nodding off to sleep. So of course this is the perfect occasion to share a new recipe for the new week! This is a fantastic little salad that would be excellent to take to a party (hint hint: SuperBowl is only one week away!) or to pack in your lunch every day - we opted for the latter and loved it. I recommend spicier salsa and the absolute must-have ingredient, cotija cheese. You won't regret making this if you want something loosely-Mexican, without being overly heavy/cheesy/greasy like you typically get with Mexican food. I imagine this would also be fab wrapped in a tortilla, since it goes well with tortilla chips. Overall, a winning recipe!

Cooking Notes: I used a fresh hot salsa, just to add some flavor to this recipe. I'm not sure it needed it but it made for a fun surprise in those first few bites! Also, find and use cotija cheese - trust us. Lastly, we didn't use fresh lime juice as recommended, but it was fine.

Mexican Pinto Bean Salad (adapted from Real Simple; serves 8)
2 15.5-oz cans pinto beans, rinsed
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup fresh salsa
4 oz. cotija cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
S&P

Begin by rinsing the pinto beans, chopping the scallions and bell pepper and crumbling the cheese. Combine the beans, bell pepper, scallions, salsa, cotija, oil, and lime juice in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle fresh ground salt and pepper over top, stirring in well. Place in refrigerator at least two hours before serving and enjoy! Suggestion: eat with restaurant-style tortilla chips.

Recipe: Real Simple: Mexican Pinto Bean Salad