Thursday, July 16, 2009

Cool and Refreshing Bean Salad

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Beans are an easy, frugal and nutritious addition to any meal. I have been experimenting in new recipes for beans, as one of my goals is to add more beans and lentils into my families diet. Everyone in my family really enjoys beans, so this should be a pretty easy challenge, but in the past I always used canned beans, not dried. I have no idea why it took me so long to make the switch, dried beans are way less expensive and by making the entire dish myself, I control the ingredients that go in. I guess I was just put off from the time it would take, but with just a bit of planning and a slow cooker it is way easier than I thought it would be.
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I have serious cravings for food that is spicy, like make you cry spicy, so I will be serving up some fiery hot chicken drumsticks (which is adapted from a chicken wing recipe I found), but to cool down our palates, I decided to make a refreshing bean salad and will also be serving fresh carrot and celery sticks with homemade ranch salad dressing for those who just love to dip. This is a fun meal that everyone will be happy with!
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Bean Salad
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2 cups dried beans (any combination you like)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 good sized lemon)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 purple onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
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The day before:
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Rinse off your beans and check them over for any stones or beans that do not look good.


Place your dried beans in a bowl and cover with cold water, let sit and soak for 8 - 24 hours (This step is not necessary, but helps the beans become more digestible and decreases the over all cooking time). Transfer to your slow cooker, add three cups of water for every cup of beans. Cook them on low over night - about 8 - 10 hours.
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Mix up the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small glass container. Shake to mix. By mixing the dressing the night before the garlic will infuse the oil and have a more mellow taste, not such a sharp taste.
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The next day:
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Drain and rinse and transfer to a bowl. Let cool in the fridge for 4 - 6 hours.
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Once your beans have cooled, add your chopped vegetables and pour over enough dressing just to coat, toss to mix (if you have extra dressing, save it for a salad the next day). Place back in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
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Easy peasy right?
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Christine

12 comments:

  1. I have that exact same crock pot! I think I've had mine at least 10+ years. It just won't die! Love it!

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  2. Do you salt the beans while cooking? When? I don't add it at the beginning because I am afraid it will make them hard (possibly an old wive's tale, but one I have heard too many times to ignore) but then I forget and only the juicy bits are salty enough. Grrr. Any advice?

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  3. Mmmmm... I'm always looking for more bean recipes. I did a stint earlier this year where I tried to come up with 8 distinct bean, rice, and/or lentil recipes that we could eat every month to cut the budget. :)

    I've made bean salad many times, but I might have to try out your variation of dressing as bean salad is actually on the menu for tomorrow night's dinner. Looks yum!

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  4. This sounds great! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. wish i could make that for my hubby! he'd have a fit, but i'd loveee to try it! hey, do you know that that crock has lead in it?? just fyi, someone just told me mine does so i thoguht i'd pass on the info.... i got a new hamilton beach at walmart.com for 29 bucks thats a 6 quart-er. anyways, thanks! have been looking over your recipes!

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  6. oh yeah, i got a hamilton beach because they do not use lead in the glaze for the crocks.... i don't know, i'm kind of a freak about things, but if its something you care about, there's the info for ya. :)

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  7. I LOVE bean salads. Sometimes I just toss some cold cooked beans on top of my green salad for a tasty treat. So good. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. I have that crockpot too. Got it while in college back in the late 90's. Never heard the lead thing...hmm.

    That mix of beans looks so pretty. I love using a variety of beans in a dish, but right now I only have a couple kinds of dried beans. Need to buy more.

    There used to be a farmer at my Farmer's Market who sold dried beans. It was great because he had "exotic" varieties that my grocery store doesn't carry. I wonder what happened to him. :(

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  9. I love bean salads, I use canned beans. Need to try making my own in the crock pot next time. Thanks for the GREAT!!! idea and recipe. THANKS!!! Geri

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  10. This reminds me of a bean salad my grandma used to make. Thanks for the healthy inspiration!

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