Summer Bean Salad: August 2019 Week 3

Prep Time: 20 mins   Total Time: 20 mins   Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:   Adapted from saveur.com

6 tbsp. red wine vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)

¼ cups sugar

1 bouquet garni – bundle of herbs (5 black peppercorns,1 bay leaf,1 bunch thyme, and 1 smashed clove of garlic, wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with kitchen twine)

½ cups thinly sliced red onion

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cups chickpeas, canned or cooked from dry

½ cups romano beans, canned or cooked from dry

½ cups yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

½ cups peeled and thinly sliced celery

2 cups of bulgar or quinoa (optional)

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp. roughly chopped lovage (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the vinegar, sugar, and ¼ cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; stir until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add bouquet garni; pour over red onions and allow to cool before straining, discarding bouquet garni. Keep the vinegar mixture and set red onions aside.

Cook the yellow string beans for 10-15 minutes in a pot of boiling water (can use green or yellow or a combination of both). Beans will be tender and if you want them to be crunchy, cook them in less time. 

Add chickpeas and romano beans to a large bowl. 

Add vinegar, reserved red onions, celery, oil, basil, lovage if using, grains (if using) salt and pepper to taste; toss gently to combine and serve.