If the term ‘salad’ conjures up images of limp lettuce leaves and watery tomatoes, fear not, this recipe is hearty and protein packed. Take a bowl of white beans like Pinto or Great Northern beans, coat them in a light vinaigrette dressing, along with vegetable powders, and seasoning to heighten the flavor profile, and you’ll have a quick and easy meal in next to no time.
Seasoning is key in this recipe. There’s no need to go overboard; however, you want to be generous and add sufficient Pepper Salt, salt, Wild Ramp, Threefold Savory, and perhaps other seasonings you have available, plus extra ingredients like radishes, olives, or capers, to turn this into something more than a bland bowl of beans.
It pays to prepare your dry beans ahead of time; this involves soaking them overnight instead of using pre-cooked beans from a can or carton, as I did on this occasion. Big mistake. I thought I could cut corners and use a can of beans, instead of my regular practice of soaking the beans overnight. I can’t fault the taste; however, the texture was overcooked, and on the mushy side. I strongly recommend sprouting your beans, especially in a recipe like this one where it’s the main ingredient. Sprouted beans also retain their shape better if you want to store them as leftovers in the fridge for the next day.
This bean salad tastes great warm, but you can also eat it cold straight from the fridge. Feel free to add some additional protein, such as sliced chicken or chopped shrimp, sautéed in garlic, ghee, and a sprinkling of salt, for a more substantial meal.
Thinly slice the salad onions and crush the garlic.
Sauté these vegetables in a pot with 1- 2 tablespoons of ghee for a few minutes until tender.
Mix the beans with the sautéed vegetables, along with the Wild Ramp, Pepper Salt, Threefold Savory, salt, and any other seasonings of your choice. Stir until the beans are warm. Remove from the heat.
To make the dressing, pour olive oil into a small bowl with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and your sweetener of choice. Whisk these ingredients with a fork until they are well combined.
Add Pepper Salt, Threefold Savory and salt, and continue to stir.
Do a taste test and add more salt, lemon juice or sweetener if necessary.
Pour the vinaigrette dressing over the bean mixture. Gently mix the beans and coat them in the dressing.
Pour the warm bean salad into a large bowl, garnish with olives, salad onions or capers, and serve.
Recipe Note
You can add additional vegetables, or a warm protein like slices of chicken or shrimp.
