Bean Salad
Difficulty Very easy
YIELD Serves 6
One of my favourite things to do in the warm months is go on picnics. I love packing up a basket with goodies and heading to my favourite parks—personally I like to set up my picnic right next to the playground (you've got to stake out the swings, of course), but if your tastes run more to the quiet of woods, a picnic works just fine out there, too. Picnics are a great way to get outside and enjoy your surroundings—what could be better on a warm summer day than that? Over the next few weeks I will be posting recipes that I think are great for a picnic: things that don't spoil, that can still taste great luke-warm, and that are easy to eat outside. There are a few great recipes already here on Planet Green: I have made Kelly's vegan potato salad for every picnic I?ve had this year and it?s been a huge hit every time. Salads are a good choice because they generally don't involve knives—a great difficulty when you're trying to balance a plate in your lap.
This is one of my favourite picnic recipes. It doesn't have anything that spoils, which means even if you leave your basket in direct sunlight all morning it's still edible. While I added smoked ham to the recipe, omitting it would make it vegan. Feel free to add whatever you like to this recipe—it's great with green onions, peppers, green beans, or practically anything else. I originally planned to make it with green beans, but the farmers' market gave me another idea: beautiful fresh peas. Feel free to mess around with the dressing, as well: I make it with what I have in my cupboard: maybe you have other things!
INGREDIENTS
| Salad | |
| 1 | can of chickpeas |
| 1 | can of red kidney beans (or whatever type of beans you prefer) |
| 1/2 cup | peas |
| 1/4 cup | smoked ham |
| Dressing | |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tsp | balsamic vinegar |
| 1/2 tsp | Dijon mustard |
| Salt and pepper to taste | |
PREPARATION:
- Drain the chickpeas and kidney beans and place in a large bowl. Cut the ham into small pieces, no larger than the beans. Add to the bowl.
- Shell the peas. Boil a small pot of water and add the peas, leaving them for only a few minutes (they should not be soft). Drain them and add to the beans.
- Mix the dressing in a small bowl or glass. Taste it before you put it on the salad (place a few beans on a fork and dip them in). If needed, add more of any of the ingredients.
- Pour the dressing on the beans and stir it up.
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