Although bean stews are usually associated with cold winter nights,
cold bean salads are a great addition for a light summer meal
By PHYLLIS GLAZERbeans 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
When we think of summer, most of us think of foods like watermelon and gazpacho, sandwiches, salads and other no-cook dishes and, of course, ice cream. But besides the year-round consumption of our beloved humous, almost nobody thinks of beans.“Beans?” you may be thinking to yourself, “She must be kidding. Beans are classic winter food!” While it’s true that beans make satisfying, comforting and nourishing winter fare, they can and should be adapted to summer food as well. We don’t, after all, stop eating humous in summer, so why not adapt (and adopt) other bean-based dishes as well? Beans are a great source of fiber and a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.Combined with cereal grains, they create complementary proteins. Consumption of beans is also recommended for people with type-2 diabetes because they raise blood-sugar levels, slowly helping to stabilize the body’s blood-sugar levels.And unlike most grocery items these days, beans are inexpensive.
If beans are not a regular part of your diet, you may feel some discomfort digesting them. This will ease up for the most part if you eat beans regularly and your body develops the enzyme to digest them. You can also remedy the discomfort by rinsing and soaking the beans before use (except for lentils, mung beans and blackeyed peas, which are easier to digest) and by adding spices such as cumin, coriander seed, fennel seed or caraway to the dishes you make. It will also help if you eat the beans along with grains.20-MINUTE RED LENTIL HUMOUSServes 4✔ 13⁄4 cups red lentils✔ 11⁄2 cups water✔ 1⁄3 cup olive oil✔ 3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice✔ 1 garlic clove, crushed✔ 1⁄2-1 tsp. cumin✔ 1⁄2 tsp. paprika (hot or sweet)✔ Salt and coarsely ground black pepper✔ For serving: Olive oil, sliced radishes, onion quarters, warm pita, chopped parsley or fresh coriander for garnish Pick over the lentils and place in a strainer. Rinse under running water and drain.Place in a pot with the water, bring slowly to a boil and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Remove foam on top. Remove from heat, cover coriander or parsley. Serve the onion and radishes in small bowls or arrange around the plate. Best served immediately.CHICKPEA AND PANDA BEAN SALADServes 6-8Panda beans are red-and-white speckled beans. You can find them in the markets or at the Nitzat Haduvdevan health-food chain. They not only taste good and are particularly high in calcium, but they also retain their pretty colors after cooking. You can substitute any other bean if you like, but cook them separately to retain their colors.Combining beans with seeds (sesame seeds for tehina) improves this salad’s protein content as well.✔ 3 cups uncooked chickpeas✔ 1 cup uncooked panda beans✔ 7 Tbsp. tehina✔ 6 Tbsp. water✔ 3 Tbsp. lemon juice✔ 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed✔ 1 large ripe tomato, coarsely chopped✔ 1⁄2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped✔ Salt and pepper to taste If using chickpeas and white or panda beans, soak them together overnight. If using darker colors, soak and cook separately (or use the quick-soak method). Drain and cook in water to cover until tender when pinched (but not mushy). Drain well.While the beans are cooking, beat together the rest of of the ingredients, except the parsley and tomato, and pour over the salad.Season with salt and pepper and mix gently.Stir in the parsley and tomato, adjust seasoning and serve.
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