Brown Bag: Essential Bean Salad and Variations

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* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Essential Bean Salad

 

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 7 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Lower Cal (under 300 calories) LowFat (Less than 30%)

Veggie WW

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 cups dried beans -- split peas, or lentils, sorted and cooked

OR 4-5 cups

precooked or canned

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar -- or other good vinegar, or freshly

squeezed lemon

juice, or to taste

3 tablespoons minced red onion -- or shallot, 2-4 T to taste

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil -- plus more to taste

1/3 cup chopped parsley -- 1/4 to 1/2 cup to taste

 

While the beans are cooking, stir the vinegar and onion together in a large

bowl. Sprinkle with

salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil.

 

 

Continue cooking the beans until just tender but before their skins split and

they become mushy.

The exact time will vary depending on the bean variety and the beans' age. Drain

the beans and add

them to the bowl with the dressing while they are still hot. Toss gently until

the beans are

coated with dressing, adding a little more olive oil if you like.

 

 

Let cool to room temperature (or refrigerate), stirring once or twice to

distribute the dressing.

Stir in the parsley just before serving, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

 

 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Time: 1 1/2 to 3 hours (depending on the bean, largely unattended)

 

 

EASIEST ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

A stripped down version: Prepare vinaigrette, or any of its variations. Cook any

kind of bean

until just tender. Drain and dress the beans in the vinaigrette while still

warm.

 

 

ITALIAN STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

A little stronger: Use cannellini or cranberry beans. Season the vinegar with 1

T. minced garlic

and 1 t. minced fresh rosemary in addition to the onion. If you'd like a

slightly milder taste,

use white wine vinegar. If you have fresh basil, and you'll be serving the salad

right away, use

1/4 cup or so of that in place of the rosemary.

 

 

FRENCH STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

Lovely, especially with flageolets: Use lentils (preferably Le Puy) or flageolet

beans. Use sherry

vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar. Replace the red onion with thinly

sliced shallot. Instead

of the parsley, stir in 2 T. minced fresh tarragon right before serving.

 

 

GREEK STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

Possibly my favorite: Use dried fava or gigante beans. Substitute fresh lemon

juice for the

vinegar. Add 1 T. minced garlic to the vinegar along with the onion. Instead of

parsley, finish

with 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint.

 

 

JAPANESE STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

A teaspoon of soy sauce is nice here too: Use edamame or adzuki beans.

Substitute rice wine

vinegar for the red wine vinegar and a neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, for

the olive oil.

Instead of parsley, finish with 1 sheet nori, toasted and crumbled.

 

 

CHINESE STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

The ginger changes everything: Use dried soybeans (black or white) or mung

beans. Instead of red

wine vinegar, use Chinese black vinegar or rice wine vinegar. Instead of red

onion, use 1 T. each

of minced peeled ginger and garlic. Replace olive oil with 2 T. dark sesame oil

and 2 T. neutral

oil, like grapeseed or corn. Use soy sauce instead of salt for final seasoning

and toss with 1/4

cup chopped scallion instead of parsley.

 

 

INDIAN STYLE ESSENTIAL BEAN SALAD

Allow a little more time for the chickpeas: Use chickpeas. Use rice wine vinegar

and 2 to 4 T. of

minced or grated peeled ginger (to taste) instead of the red onion or shallot.

Instead of olive

oil, use 2 T. peanut oil and 2 T. coconut milk, either made from scratch or

canned (use 1 can,

slightly less than 2 cups, with a little water). Use cilantro instead of

parsley.

 

 

 

 

SIX SIMPLE LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS TO ESSENTIAL BEAN SALADS

1. Cheese: Grate or shave Parmesan cheese on the Italian style variation;

crumble Blue Cheese on

the French style; or crumble Feta on the Greek style.

2. Chopped tomatoes: Spread the beans out on a platter, top with the finishing

herb, seaweed, or

scallion, according to the recipe or variation, then top with 1 cup chopped

fresh tomato. Drizzle

with a little more oil and serve.

3. Chopped nuts or seeds: Stir in 1/2 cup. Some specific ideas: Hazelnuts with

white beans in the

Italian Style Bean Salad; almonds in the French style; walnuts in the Greek

style; sesame seeds in

the Japanese style; and peanuts in the Chinese style.

4. Bean sprouts: Add 1 cup mung bean sprouts to either the Japanese style or

Chinese style

variation.

5. Cooked greens: For a more substantial dish, toss the finished salad with any

kind of cooked

hearty green, like kale, cabbage, escarole, or spinach.

6. Salad greens: Toss the finished salad with 4 cups bite-sized pieces of

romaine leaves, or

arugula, mesclun, frisee, mizuna, or tatsoi.

 

Start to Finish Time:

" 2:00 "

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 270 Calories; 9g Fat (27.6% calories from

fat); 13g

Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 15g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 10mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 2 1/2

Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

 

NOTES : Author: " This is a master recipe, something you can rely on forever. The

idea of

marinating warm beans remains the same whether you use lentils, big white

gigante beans or

anything in between. What changes are your choice of seasonings and the cooking

time. Note that I

say " cooking time " and " not opening the can time " . Though you can certainly use

canned beans here,

if you try this recipe once from scratch you will be hooked.

 

The amount in this recipe is big enough to woo a small crowd or to keep some in

the fridge to eat

over the course of several days. You can also cook a whole batch of beans,

freeze half for another

use, and cut the recipe down by half. "

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0

 

 

 

 

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