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Parve
Easy
8 Servings
Allergens 
No Allergens specified
30 Minutes
Diets
One of my big motivations for writing this book, and especially this chapter, is my crusade to never have to eat a raw onion in a salad ever again. I simply hate feeling like my esophagus is under attack. So if there’s one thing this recipe teaches you—and empowers you to immediately adapt as a credo—it’s this: there’s always time for a quick pickle. Letting these veggies mingle with some acid for a few minutes mellows their harsh edge, brightens their natural colors, and builds flavor for the very liquid that is about to become a savory Sazón dressing, an ideal partner to a bean salad if there ever was one. When we can let the flavors sing together, we all win! I love the dense texture of black beans as a base here, but any of your favorite canned beans can slide right in.
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, such as Tuscanini
juice of 4 limes
2 teaspoons Haddar Kosher Salt
1 jalapeño, diced
8 sweet mini peppers, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
4 scallions, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and diced
2 (15-and-1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cleaned and chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 packets Sazón seasoning, any flavor (see note)
1 teaspoon freshly ground Gefen Black Pepper
In a medium serving bowl, whisk the vinegar, lime juice, salt, and 1/4 cup of cold water. As you dice the jalapeño, peppers, onion, scallions, and avocado, add them to the bowl and lightly toss to coat in the vinegar mixture. Set a timer for 10 minutes to lightly pickle.
Add the black beans, cilantro, vegetable oil, and Sazón. Toss to completely mix, then taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. Stir again before serving.
Recipe reprinted with permission from What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass © 2025. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photographs by Gentl and Hyers.
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