Canyon Ranch Bean Salad

This came to me from my friend Laura who is a personal chef and always has wonderful recipes at her fingertips. It also appeared in Self magazine in June 2003 and appears in the Canyon Ranch cookbook with slightly different proportions. This is easy to make...guilt free...and really delicious.Laura took it to a picnic...adding the greens over top of the beans and tossing right before serving.
Even my picky teenaged boys enjoyed this very much. It makes a boatload, so I suggest waiting to add the romaine until just before you eat it and only to the portions you are serving. I kept just the bean and veggie part of it in a container and had it for lunch today, adding the lettuce right before I ate it. It would also be good with spinach or arugula as the green portion...or even alone without the greens. I served this with grilled fish and a Israeli Couscous and quinoa blend from Trader Joe's...it was delicious.
Canyon Ranch Bean Salad

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large head romaine lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced black pitted olives
3/4 tsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup diced tomato
1 cup cooked white beans (home-cooked or canned, rinsed and drained)
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (home-cooked or canned, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup chopped hearts of palm

In a small bowl, mix vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Beat well. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add salad dressing and toss lightly. Divide equally among 4 salad bowls. Nutritional analysis per serving: 300 calories, 10 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 42 g carbohydrates, 14 g protein, 12 g fiber

Makes 4 servings.