Last week, I mentioned (I believe in the comments) that I wanted to be able to find dishes that worked, and be able to recreate them with out thinking. This Three Bean Salad recipe is from Martha Stewart. I instantly wanted to make it becuase it reminds me of summer picnics and family gatherings. There are so many potlucks on meetup.com or events at the community gardens/farms, a great way to meet new people and share in the cooking, but I never can think of anything to bring. This dish is my new summer dish…and I can make it without thinking or looking at the recipe. Easy.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces green beans, stem ends removed, halved on the diagonal
- 4 ounces yellow wax beans, stem ends removed, halved on the diagonal
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Directions
- Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Set a steamer basket in a large pot with a lid. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil.
- Place green and wax beans in basket; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot, and steam until beans are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water. Drain, and pat dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add green, wax, and cannellini beans; toss to coat. If storing, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.
I use dried cannellini beans and avoid canned. I have also used frozen Lima beans as an alternative to the wax beans. There is another bean salad variation using kidney beans that I am going to try next.
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 pound haricots verts or green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ounce mache or watercress, trimmed, rinsed, and spun dry
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, tarragon, chives, honey, mustard, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add haricots verts or green beans; simmer until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer haricots verts to ice bath, and let cool completely. Drain in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a large serving bowl. Add kidney beans and cannellini, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Gently toss in the mache or watercress; season with pepper. Serve.
Looking for a place to share your new dish? Check out some of Hayes Valley Farm upcoming community events.
Sounds good! I will have to check out Martha's recipe site, too. That's good to know about Whole Foods grocery list maker. I usually don't buy too much from Whole Foods $, but the list would be great. Thanks for the info!
Too bad I'm signed up for an appetizer for the 4th of July picnic. It will have to be hummus again…
(garbanzos, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt) At least I can do that without thinking as well.
Do like that salad!