The Grain and Bean Salad Formula

I'm trying out a new salad "formula" that's an amalgamation of this post on Mark Bittman's website and this post on a website called Three Many Cooks. Essentially, they both suggest that if you use certain proportions of certain types of ingredients you can come up with a virtually limitless variety of delicious salads. That's my kind of thinking! I love the idea of being able to work with what I've got on hand or dream up fancy new creations with these proportions as guidelines.
Here's the basic formula:
2 cups cooked grain
2 cups cooked beans
3 cups chopped veggies (raw or lightly steamed or a combination of both)
1/2-3/4 cup "extras" (nuts, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, dried fruit, etc)
1/4 cup fragrant/oniony things (red onions, shallots, green onions, maybe some garlic or ginger or lemongrass mixed in)
1/2 cup chopped soft herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, etc, use one or a combination)
1/4 cup oil (I'd recommend using olive as the main base and then adding other oils in smaller proportion for flavor)
2 Tbs acid (lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, etc.)
salt and pepper (and any other spices you desire; cumin, chili-powder, etc)
Put the acid you are using in a large bowl. Add a little salt and pepper (and spice if desired). Add your fragrant oniony things. Add oil in a slow stream and whisk until you have a well-mixed dressing. Add the grain and beans and mix well. Add all other ingredients and stir until well mixed. Add a little more salt and pepper as needed (will vary depending on what extras you've added). Serve

For the salad I made tonight: I used pearled barley, kidney beans, green beans (lightly steamed), toasted walnuts, feta, shallots, parsley, olive oil, and white wine vinegar. Pretty darn tasty!