In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I selected a Southwestern Bean Salad for our May 2023 Salad of the Month.

Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May) is an annual celebration commemorating Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

It is not the celebration of Mexican Independence Day, which is September 16 and commemorates the “Cry of Dolores” that started the war of Mexican independence from Spain.

In Mexico, celebrations usually consist of ceremonial parades or battle reenactments. The holiday was first celebrated in California in 1863 and has become a way for Mexican Americans to celebrate/share their heritage within their own culture and with others.

In the 1980s, advertisers for beer, wine, and tequila companies commercialized the holiday, and its popularity spread across the United States at the expense of the significance of the celebration. Beer sales on Cinco de Mayo now rival the numbers generated for the Super Bowl.

Southwestern Bean Salad is a quick and tasty recipe to add to your celebration. Here is the link, https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/recipes/southwestern-bean-salad/

This recipe has few ingredients and requires no cooking. The image shown clearly has diced red onion, but it’s not mentioned in the recipe. I highly recommend adding it for flavor. I also added diced jalapenos.

The next time I make Southwestern Bean Salad, I will also top it with avocado and a little Chipotle Tabasco.

I served this with an Impossible burger for me, and a sirloin steak for my son. James raved about the flavor combination and enjoyed the leftovers with a beef burger the next day.

This heart-healthy recipe would be delicious served with tacos, burritos, or fajitas. I will definitely be making this again.

Next month, I will be making  Salad Niçoise. 

The Twelve Months of Salads - 2023

January – Celery Salad with Apples

February - Strawberry Avocado Salad

March – Spring Pea, Asparagus, and Mint Salad

April - Spring Salad with Edamame, Cucumbers. Snow Peas and Tofu Croutons

May – Southwestern Bean Salad

June – Salad Niçoise

July –  Blueberry Cucumber Summer Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

August – Italian Pasta Salad

September – Chicken Garden Salad with ranch dressing

October – Kale, Butternut Squash, and Pomegranate Salad

November – Hearty Farro Salad

December – Vegan Soba Noodle Salad