How do I cook dried beans?

First things first, rinse and sort through the dried beans and discard any small rocks or debris. Whether or not you want to soak the beans is up to you and your beliefs. The old myth states that dried beans must be soaked before cooking in order to soften them for faster cooking. Epicurious does a great job of debunking that myth in this article . The general consensus is that they don't need a super long soak. About an hour will do. Next, add the beans to a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let them simmer until they're tender. Depending on the beans and whether or not you pre-soaked them, this may take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. It took about two and a half hours for us. Towards the end of the cooking time, throw in a large pinch of salt to add extra flavor. Don't worry if you think you added too much - you'll be draining them anyways, which will discard of most of the salty liquid.

How long will this salad keep?

You can keep this salad in the fridge for 3 days, just be sure to leave off the pine nuts and feta until you're ready to serve.

White Bean Salad - Crowded Kitchen

Description

We can't get enough of this white bean salad with lemon, artichokes, herbs and edamame. It's light, refreshing, tangy, briny, and packed with plant-based protein.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

3 cups (2 15oz cans) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen, shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup marinated artichokes, finely chopped
3 tablespoons capers (optional)
1/4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Optional add-ins for a more filling salad*: 2 cups cooked farro + 1 cup finely chopped celery (see notes section about increasing dressing quantity)

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
3/4-1 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove grated garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp dried oregano

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Instructions

If using dried white beans, cook according to package directions. If using canned, drain and rinse well.
Boil or steam edamame for 2-3 minutes. Then drain and set aside to cool while preparing other ingredients.
In a small pan over medium-low, toast pine nuts until golden brown, stirring very often. Keep a close eye on them - they tend to burn very quickly. It should take about 3-4 minutes.
Whisk together all ingredients for vinaigrette.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients until well coated in vinaigrette.

Notes

*If you add in the farro and celery, you'll need to increase the dressing quantity to the following: 3 oz (a little over 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp dijon, 1 large clove garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried oregano. We also add in an extra 1/4 cup of feta and another small handful of pine nuts.

Cannellini beans can be substituted for another variety of white bean, including navy or Great Northern beans.

Feel free to use dried or canned beans. Read the full blog post for more info on cooking dried beans from scratch.

Meal prep/storage: This vegan white bean salad holds up well for meal prep. In fact, the longer the beans sit in the flavorful dressing, the better they'll taste. Just hold off on the pine nuts and feta until just before serving, otherwise they'll get too soggy. You can keep the salad (without feta and pine nuts) in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy within 5 days.

Capers: Optional, but they add so much salty, briny, delicious flavor!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Salads
Method: No Cook
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl
Calories: 330
Sugar: 1.9 g
Sodium: 810.7 mg
Fat: 15.3 g
Carbohydrates: 36.3 g
Fiber: 10 g
Protein: 15 g