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Even Bean Haters Will Love This Bean Salad

partysugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:38 -0700

Over the Summer we took advantage of the season's wide variety of produce and shared our best salad recipes. However, one salad, the bean salad, was overlooked. Luckily reader Lengel has shared her rendition of bean salad in the Kitchen Goddess group on the YumSugar Community. Want your recipes and photos to be shared here on YumSugar? Start participating in the community!
Lengel, who has her own food blog, Working Girls Kitchen, is not a fan of bean salads. Although she finds them to be totally unappealing, she describes this salad recipe - which comes from another popular food blogger, Heidi Swanson - to be simple, yummy, and surprising. Pan-roasted carrots and fresh dill take ordinary canned beans to a whole new level. I agree with Lengel when she says, "this is a great dish for any picnic and will work great for work lunches." To check out the recipe, read more.

Easy Canned Bean Salad
http://workinggirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/recession-canned-bean-salad.html

Nothing against bean salads, but I really don't find them appealing. So I certainly surprised myself with this one! The recipe is very simple yet very yummy! The pan roasted carrots and fresh dill take all the attention away from the canned beans, to my surprise. This is a great dish for any picnic and will work great for work lunches.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped carrots
1 clove of garlic
1 can of white beans
1 can of black beans
1/4 cup chopped dill
salt & pepper to taste

for the vinaigrette
1/4 cup good olive oil
juice of half a lemon
2 shallots diced
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Over medium heat, in a large fry pan, heat up some cooking oil ( I prefer Spectrum Canola Oil). Add the diced garlic and carrots. Saute carrots and garlic until the carrots turn brown and begin to caramelize. It should smell delicious!

In a medium bowl throw in the beans and dill. Lightly toss. When carrots are done roasting add to the beans, add the dill. Lightly toss once more.

In a small bowl whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Take a taste to test seasoning. You may need to add more salt/pepper. Lightly toss into the bean salad.

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Reader Recipe: Beloved Bean Salad

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:03:11 -0700

One of my favorite things to do in Spring is go on picnics. I pack up a small sack - making sure to add a bottle opener! - text some friends, grab YumJimmy and head to the park. One of the best parts is all the random snacks everyone brings. I'm always looking for a new addition to our usual repertoire, and when I saw this bean salad from TeamSugar member audreystar, I knew I had found a winner. Her recipe is handed down from her aunt, and it looks easy to throw together and great for any sort of get together. To get the recipe for her auntie's beloved bean salad, just read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member audreystar

Auntie's Beloved Bean Salad
My aunt's recipe.

I love this bean salad. My beloved aunt makes this for every family get together and I just gobble it up. In fact she makes it special just for me because she knows how much I love it.

I finally got the recipe from her and made it tonight!!

Ingredients

2 - 15 oz cans of kidney beans or red beans
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 onion chopped
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (you can use sweet-pickle relish instead if you like it better)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can add less or more depending on how thick you want it)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt

Directions
Ingredients (at a glance)

Mix together in a bowl, your chopped onion, chopped celery, pickle relish, garlic powder, and celery salt:

Hard boil an egg and after it is finished chop it up and put in the bowl with onion/relish mixture. Next open the cans of beans and thoroughly rinse and dry. (This is very important! If you don't do this you will end up with a soupy bean mess - trust me I know )

Drained beans

Add chopped egg and beans to the bowl mixture.

Last thing is add the mayonnaise. Mix all together. Cover and put in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Great for a Summer bbq. Enjoy!

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Two-Bean Salad with Tarragon Dressing

partysugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:03:31 -0700

My brother has recently decided to change his diet. Instead of eating tons of fast food, he wants to consume more vegetables. I suggested he eat one hearty and filling salad a day. This two bean salad is perfect for him because it's chock full of flavorful vegetables. The beans provide much needed protein and a simple but well seasoned dressing is made with balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard.

To check out the recipe, read more.

Two-Bean Salad with Tarragon Dressing
From Vegetarian Times magazine

Ingredients

Two-Bean Salad
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 6-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Tarragon Dressing
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cups olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh tarragon

Directions

To make Two-Bean Salad: fill large pot with 1 inch water and set steamer basket in pot. Cover, and bring water to a boil.
Place green beans in steamer basket. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and steam 2 to 3 minutes, or until green beans are crisp-tender. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile make the Tarragon Dressing: blend vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, salt and pepper in blender or food processor until smooth.
With machine running, gradually add oil and tarragon through feed tube, and blend until smooth.
Toss green beans with all remaining salad ingredients in large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad, and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: String Bean, Arugula, and Pasta Salad

partysugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:50:16 -0700

Tonight go green with this substantial vegetarian pasta salad. It's not only full of green vegetables, but it conserves energy by only boiling one pot of water.

The recipe highlights the fresh flavor and crunchy snap of green beans. The peppery bite of arugula and the salty tang of parmesan cheese play supporting roles. A simple lemon vinaigrette combines everything together.

Serve this delightful pasta on its own, as a side dish, or pack for a picnic. Check out the uncomplicated recipe when you read more.

String Bean, Arugula, and Pasta Salad
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 ounces green beans, trimmed
4 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed
Coarse salt
1 pound curved, dried pasta, such as conchiglie, orecchiette, or other medium curved shapes
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, 1/2 ounce finely grated (1/2 cup), 1 ounce shaved with a vegetable peeler (1/2 cup)
1 ounce (1 1/2 cups) baby arugula

Directions

Prepare an ice-water bath. Cook green and wax beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice-water bath until cool, reserving water in pot. Drain beans, and cut into 2-inch-long pieces.
Add pasta to the reserved boiling water, and cook until al dente. Drain and spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Transfer chilled pasta to a large serving dish.
Whisk lemon zest and juice and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle over pasta, and toss until well coated.
Add beans, pine nuts, and grated Parmesan. Toss until evenly distributed.
Just before serving, fold in arugula, and top with shaved Parmesan.

Serves 8.

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Fava Bean & Pecorino Salad Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:30:46 -0700

No fruit or vegetable ushers in the season of late Spring and early Summer quite like the fava bean. Simply ask the denizens of southern Italy, where short-lived favas are a prized warm-weather favorite. There, the tender, creamy beans are frequently served in a delicate salad with buttery olive oil and nutty pecorino cheese. The traditional way of preparing favas is to shell and then blanch them to remove their tough outer skins - but if you're new to working with favas, you may want to stick with selecting young, thin-skinned pods, which require no blanching. Make the fava bean salad that suits you best when you read more.

Beginner Fava Bean & Pecorino Salad
From Saveur

Ingredients

1 1⁄2-2 lbs. fresh young favas*
6 oz. young Tuscan pecorino
1⁄4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

*Note: Look for fresh, young favas whose skins are so thin and tender that they don't need peeling. Look for smaller, unblemished fava pods, snapping a few open to see whether the beans are small and thin-skinned.

Directions

Shell favas into a medium bowl. Break pecorino into small chunks into bowl with favas. Drizzle olive oil over favas and cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently toss salad, then divide among plates.

Serves 2 to 4.

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Expert Fava Bean & Pecorino Salad
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 pounds whole fava beans, shelled
2 shallots, peeled and minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces baby lettuce, washed and spun dry
2 ounces watercress, stems removed, washed, and spun dry
3/4 pound Pecorino Toscano cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Add favas to boiling water, and blanch 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice bath to stop cooking; drain. Peel and discard tough skins; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine shallots, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
Arrange lettuce and watercress on a platter. Top with fava beans. Drizzle with vinaigrette, and sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

partysugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:07:31 -0700

You can make this rapid, healthy dinner salad in twelve minutes with ingredients from your pantry. Canned tuna and white beans get freshened up with cherry tomatoes, green beans, and lemon zest for a very Italian-style meal. Serve with a chunk of cheese, a hunk of crusty sourdough bread, and a chilled Pinot Grigio and finish it off with slices of cool watermelon for a relaxing and rewarding Friday night in. Make this tonight - you'll find the recipe when you read more

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad
From Good Housekeeping magazine

1 large lemon
2 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 jar (4 ounces) sliced pimientos, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 can (12 ounces) tuna in oil, drained and flaked
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
8 ounces of fresh green beans
Mixed greens, arugula, watercress or baby spinach

From lemon, finely grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice.
Steam the fresh green beans until crisp a few minutes.
In medium serving bowl, combine lemon peel and juice, cannellini beans, pimientos, olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper, tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Gently stir in tuna to serve.
Serve over a bed of mixed greens, arugula, watercress or baby spinach.

Serves 5-6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: White Bean and Chorizo Salad

partysugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:45:33 -0800

Take a trip to Spain in your kitchen tonight with this crunchy, filling, and flavorful salad.

Canned white beans are combined with spicy chorizo before being tossed with a sherry vinaigrette. Sliced radishes add a refreshing crispness and black olives finish off this interesting dish with a salty tang.

The hard boiled eggs make the salad wonderfully well-balanced. Serve with crusty bread (for mopping the tasty dressing) and a glass of Spanish wine. For the recipe please read more.

White Bean and Chorizo Salad
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 large eggs
One 15-ounce can small white beans, drained
1 ready-to-eat chorizo link (3 ounces), finely diced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Boston lettuce leaves
1/4 cup pitted Calamata olives
1 radish, thinly sliced

Directions

Put the eggs in a small saucepan. Cover the eggs with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Drain and run under cold water, gently shaking the pan. Peel the eggs and pat dry.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the beans with the chorizo, onion, bell pepper, parsley, oregano and cumin seeds.
Add the olive oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Arrange the lettuce leaves in bowls and mound the bean salad on top. Scatter the olives and radish slices all around. Quarter the eggs, arrange them around the salads and serve.

Serves 4.

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Yummy Link: White Bean, Roasted Red Pepper, and Arugula Salad

partysugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:28:19 -0700

Now that Summer is just around the corner, I've started eating lots more salads. This salad with white beans, roasted red peppers, and arugula is at the top of my to-make list. It looks fresh and delicious. - We Heart Food

Sunday Dinner: Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

partysugar — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:00:06 -0700

For dinner tonight, serve a hearty, Mexican inspired salad. There are several steps to this recipe, but taking the time to prepare each component makes for a fresh, filling dish. The corn and black beans are roasted with onions and garlic to maximize the flavor. The mixture is tossed with a classic red wine vinaigrette and topped with not one, but two salsas!

A scrumptious mango salsa seasoned with chives and honey, and a tomato tomatillo salsa with parsley. Doesn't it sound delish? To get the recipe, read more.

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad
From Robert Irvine

Ingredients

Roasted corn and black beans:
1/2 cup grapeseed oil, divided
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 pound frozen corn kernels or about 4 ears fresh (do not use canned corn - it becomes gummy)
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh scallions, (about 2 to 4 scallions) white and tender green parts only, sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
Mango salsa:
1 mango, diced small
2 teaspoons diced red onion
2 teaspoons diced red bell pepper
2 teaspoons diced green bell pepper
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red wine vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, quartered
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup canola oil
Tomato salsa:
1 large ripe tomato, diced small
2 tomatillos, diced small
1 garlic cloves, lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade to release oils, then finely minced
2 tablespoons chiffonnade fresh flat-leaf parsley (1 small handful, about 1-ounce, rinsed and dried
2 stalks celery, small diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Make the roasted corn and black beans: preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, add 1/4 cup of oil and get the pan warm on the stovetop. Add the diced onion, garlic and corn kernels. Saute together until the corn feels cooked to the bite. Place in the oven until roasted (but not dried out) about 20 to 30 minutes.
Make the mango salsa: combine the mango, onion, bell peppers, chives, lemon juice, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a non-reactive bowl and chill.
Make the vinaigrette: add, 1 at a time through the feed opening of a running blender, the vinegar, shallot, chives, salt and pepper. Leaving the blender running, add the oil in a slow thin stream and allow to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Make the tomato salsa: combine the tomato, tomatillos, garlic, parsley, and celery. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside.
Fold together corn mixture and black beans. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough red wine vinaigrette to coat. (Do not feel compelled to use all of the dressing.) Transfer to a serving dish, and top with a spoonful of mango salsa in the center surrounded by a ring of tomato salsa. Garnish with scallions and cilantro leaves. Serve with any extra dressing on the side.

Serves 8.

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Monday's Leftovers: Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:01:31 -0700

Mondays always seem to be my craziest days, work pulls me in multiple directions and the day goes by faster than I realize. This is why I try to make extra food on Sundays. This time it was an extra bit of Grilled Beef Sirloin and I'm pretty excited to turn it into a cold steak salad with green beans and blue cheese. To join me in a simple Monday meal, read more

If you have leftover steak like I do, you can either re-heat it in the microwave, over the stove or enjoy it cold.

Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese
From Bon Appétit June 2001
Image Source

1 pound slender green beans, trimmed
6 cups arugula (about 6 ounces)
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, halved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 8- to 9-ounce New York steaks
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Cook green beans in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Combine beans, arugula, tomatoes, and olives in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup oil and vinegar in small bowl.
Brush steaks with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cut steaks crosswise into strips.
Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among 6 plates. Top with steak strips. Sprinkle cheese over.

Makes 6 servings.

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