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Irresistible Bean Salad
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
Perfectly cooked beans dressed with bright herbs, shaved carrots, and plenty of good olive oil become one of those delicious make-ahead dishes that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does an elevated holiday side dish. I call this salad “irresistible” because whenever I serve it, my guests can’t get enough. The recipe is flexible: Adjust the aromatics and seasonings to your taste, swap in your favorite bean, or easily double it for a crowd. Don’t fuss about following it to the letter.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put the beans in a large bowl.
- Use a cheese grater or food processor to shred the carrots, slicing any remaining pieces thinly with a knife, or use a vegetable peeler to shave them into ribbons. Then, add them to the bowl.
- Mince the garlic cloves with a knife or a garlic press (which will give you spicier results), and coarsely chop the parsley. Add them to the bowl along with the olive oil and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Store in the fridge, covered, for up to three days. The olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator, so give it plenty of time to thaw before serving.
A julienne peeler makes shredding the carrots safe, fast, and easy.
Try this salad with whatever beans you have on hand, like pinto beans, white beans, black beans, or lentils. You can also add halved cherry tomatoes, boiled eggs, tinned fish, or fresh mint.
How to Cook Your Beans From Scratch
Rinse the beans to remove any dust or impurities, then set them in a heavy-bottomed pan or dutch oven. Top them with filtered water until they are submerged by two inches. To the pot, add one head of garlic with the top sliced off, one medium yellow onion sliced in half with the skin and the root end intact, and a nice glug of olive oil. Bring just to a boil then reduce to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for many hours or until the beans are soft and tender. (Resist the urge to salt the beans until they are done!) You may need to add more water occasionally.
