Black Bean Avocado Salad

As a recent college grad serving a volunteer corps year, I don't have a whole lot of money to spend on food.  Actually, I have very little money to spend on food--about $100 a month.  Even if I didn't live in the Nation's Capitol, it would be a struggle to make ends meet while still maintaining a healthy diet. 

Most recipes here will be vegetarian, as meat is expensive and I eat plant-based whenever possible. Speaking of which, I made a delicious black bean avocado salad for dinner tonight to kick off this blog!

Super simple ingredients: my favorite

I don't know about you, but I love meals that I can throw together with ingredients I have on hand.  A long week of work--and some very sweaty commutes--combined with the fact that it's starting to feel like summer made me crave something light and fresh for dinner. (Thank you, founding fathers, for building DC in a swamp). 

Shopping list: 

One can black beans, no salt added

One can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), no salt added

One can diced tomatoes OR one large fresh tomato, whichever is least expensive 

One can whole kernel corn, no salt added

One lemon or lime

One or two jalapenos, depending on your desired spiciness

One avocado

Salt and pepper 

Grand total: $5.60 for 5-6 servings = $1 per serving

Drain and rinse beans, and drain corn and tomatoes.  Combine in a large bowl. Then cube avocado and dice jalapeno and fold into the mixture, adding the juice of your chosen citrus fruit and salt and pepper to taste.

 The citrus brightens up the rich avocado and bean mixture, and it has the added bonus of keeping the avocado from going brown in the fridge.

Not only is this salad fresh and light, perfect as a side dish for a summer cookout, it's also full of protein, good fats, and a couple of servings of vegetables.  The jalapeno provides just a little kick, and the avocado smooths the burn.  Needless to say, it completely hit the spot for me tonight and I'm excited to eat leftovers all weekend!

The nutritional skinny:

Makes 5 (generous) servings.
Calories: 220
Fat: 6.5g (1.5g polyun, 3.5 monoun)
Carb: 36g
Protein: 7g
Cost: $1.00 per serving

(Calculated via recipes.sparkpeople.com)