Meatless Monday: Bay Avocado Salad

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. I took full advantage of the lovely weather and spent most of the weekend at my favorite hiking spot in Illinois, Starved Rock State Park. I even made it over to Matthiessen State Park for the first time, which was nice, but a bit smaller than what I was expecting. Unfortunately, one of the falls (Devil's Bathtub) was already fairly dry (they're seasonal falls), but Cascade Falls was still going strong and was quite a sight to see! I'll share some more info in Friday's post, so make sure you stop by then for more!

Now, on to the food! As it did during our mini freak summer back in March, the warm weather is making me crave some of my favorite summery dishes (lighter meals, mostly comprised of fruits and veggies). Today's Meatless Monday dish, Bay Avocado Salad, is designed to be a sandwich filling, but it goes just as well over brown rice or quinoa or served on its own with a side of greens (it's especially good with spinach salad). It's super easy to assemble, packed with flavor, and can be used in so many ways - highly, highly, highly recommended!

Bay Avocado Salad 

Makes 4 servings (1 cup each)

INGREDIENTS
1 avocado, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped (I hate celery, so I omit this & add in a second bell pepper)
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
2 limes, juiced (approximately 4 Tbs)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, mix together avocado, beans, bell pepper, celery, onions, and cilantro

2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and toss with avocado/bean mixture

To serve as a sandwich: remove the bread from center of 4 rolls and spoon in avocado/bean mixture

*recipe via Dawn Jackson Blatner at The Chopping Block