My mom made an amazing southwest salad for me a couple weeks back and I have been making variations on the theme most work nights since then. The beauty of this recipe is that almost everything is optional and most stuff can be prepped at the beginning of the week. Just pull all the prepped ingredients out of the fridge, throw them together, microwave (if desired), and you’re ready to eat in under 5 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded spinach

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

3/4 to 1 cup black beans (rinsed lazily, low-sodium beans will still taste great)

1/2 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup bell peppers (diced)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoon organic lime juice (I think organic tastes sweeter)

1/2 to 1 avocado, cubed

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions

In a medium-large bowl, layer the spinach, brown rice, black beans, corn, and peppers and drizzle with olive oil. Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds if desired. Top with avocado, lime juice, and cumin. Mix it up and enjoy!