3 min read

Pickled Red Onion and Black Bean Salad

Overhead shot of Pickled Red Onion and Black Bean Salad plated appetizingly in a wide clean plate
PrebioticHigh-FiberVeganGluten-Free
Prep Time20 min
Cook Time0 min
Total Time20 min (plus pickling)
Servings4

Can a salad you toss together in twenty minutes still count as gut food? When black beans meet quick-pickled onions, the answer is yes, mostly because the beans bring resistant starch and the onions bring a jolt of raw allium fiber that mellows as it pickles. Looking for more fiber-forward salads, try our Warm Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Pomegranate or 5-Minute Chickpea Salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, warm the vinegar, water, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt just until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Pour the warm brine over the sliced onion in a jar and let sit at least 20 minutes, or refrigerate up to a week.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, bell pepper, and cilantro.
  4. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
  5. Drain about 1/3 cup of the pickled onions from the brine and fold them into the salad along with the dressing.
  6. Toss well, taste, and adjust salt or lime as needed.
  7. Chill for 10 minutes before serving for the flavors to settle.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories 260
Total fat 7g
Total carbohydrates 40g
Dietary fiber 12g
Protein 11g
Sodium 480mg

Why This Is Good for Your Gut

Black beans are loaded with resistant starch and soluble fiber, both of which resist digestion in the small intestine and travel to the colon where bacteria like Bifidobacterium ferment them into short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate. Red onions add fructans, a prebiotic fiber that specifically feeds those same beneficial bacterial populations. For more on how fermentable fibers like these work, see our piece on Quinoa and Digestion.

Beans and onions, doing more for your microbiome than most supplements ever will.

This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.

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