Recipes, Special Starters

The Chicks, The Navys, The Kidneys and Limas: The Story of a Four Bean Salad

For many of us, nothing quite compares with a cold beer and a hot grilled steak or juicy catch of fish during the midst of a summer day lunch. And although the vegetarian diet has received a lot of praise in recent times, many of us are still afraid to integrate more wholesome alternatives in our diet to supplement a primarily carnivorous lifestyle.

This charmingly festive dish is not only aesthetically pleasing with its eclectic medley of colour and firmness but suits perfectly with all other salads on the table and has a wonderfully sweet and nutty taste and texture to support the dense proteins on your plate. On the nutritional side of things, beans are naturally high in plant protein, are a good source of fibre and iron and have a profoundly beneficial effect on stabilising blood sugar - you feel fuller after just a small serving.

With its dazzling array of colour and flavour, ease of preparation and entertaining verstaility this recipe is definitely one to test before closing the door on legumes by the pretence of their ‘tastelessness’. This dish is commonly suited by its light and healthy summer lunch application with this serving suggestion: make your plate delectable with sliced bocconcini, chorizo sausage, tuna and boiled egg drizzled in virgin olive oil. While canned bean mixes work well for this recipe and are quicker and more easily available, freshly soaked beans retain more of their nutrient content and tend to be more flavoursome. Some beans are more fussy than others, so the rule of thumb is to soak in a pot of tap water overnight with a lid intact. The starchy flavour accentuates a dry red wine and certainly compliments cold-filtered beers.

INGREDIENTS
pinch of sea salt
sprinkle of oregano, paprika, thyme, cumin, pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, diced (or generous sprinkle of quality garlic granules
2 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, diced
2 large basil leaves, ripped
dash of Balsamic vinegar
mixed four bean can of lima, navy, red kidney beans and chickpeas
(Optional) 1 diced Roma tomato, preferably partially unripe

  1. Begin by preparing the bowl seasoning mixture; add oil, salt and most of the garlic into the bowl itself and allow to infuse while preparing other ingredients. Be sure to leave a small portion of garlic aside as a garnish.
  2. Completely strain the beans medley, from can or from pot, using a colander. Shake briskly to release extra moisture.
  3. Roughly tear the basil leaves instead of chopping them and peel the tender thyme leaves from their stalk whilst keeping the other herbs on hand.
  4. Carefully add the bean medley into the serving bowl and finish by stirring through with herbs.
  5. Crush the sea salt granules coarsely into the beans and top with a light drizzle of Balsamic vinegar.
  6. Serve garnished with leftover garlic and a sprig of tender basil.
6 November 2008   |     |  

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