The great thing about food blogging is that inspiration comes three times per day, at a minimum. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Any time we go out to eat or have a meal at a friend’s house, I am surrounded by inspiration. My husband recently requested a bean based sandwich. My brain instantly went to the three bean salad available at the Jason’s Deli salad bar. Why not make something similar and pop it into a pita?
I love a dish that can be served more than one way. This is that kind of dish. You can easily serve this up as a pita sandwich (as described in the recipe) but you could just as easily eat it as a salad. Alternatively, I think it could also make a great topping on a baked sweet potato. Main dish or side dish. Either way, I call it delicious. I always keep chickpeas and black beans in my pantry. This recipe is a perfect example of why they are staples.
Tips
- You can eat this right away if you want to. However, you will get better flavor if you let the bean mixture marinate in the dressing for 30 minutes before eating it.
- If you are packing this for lunch, I recommend packing the bean mixture and the pita bread separately so the bread doesn’t get soggy.
Three Bean Pita Sandwich
Ingredients
- 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 small cucumber, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 4 6″ whole wheat pita breads, cut in half
For the dressing
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the beans, vegetables and fresh herbs. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir until evenly coated.
- When ready to eat, use a slotted spoon to scoop bean salad into pita halves.