Black Bean And Bell Pepper Salad With Date Dressing - cooking recipe

Ingredients

vinaigrette
1/2 cup water
16 dates, pitted and finely chopped (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (I've used lemon juice, too)
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons dried oregano
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander (I omit)
Salad
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Vinaigrette.
Boil water and dates in small saucepan 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Cover and let stand 1 hour to soften.
Transfer date mixture to blender.
Add lime juice, oil, oregano, honey, cumin, and coriander and puree.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
(Can be made ahead 1 day. Cover and Refrigerate. Let stand until room temperature to serve).
Combine black beans, chopped bell peppers, onion, and parsley in large bowl.
Toss salad with enough vinaigrette to coat.
(Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand until room temperature to serve.).