A quick mango bean salad that you’ll be bringing to every BBQ
Bean salads make a healthy and filling summer meal. They are packed with protein, can be served cold and withstand sitting out at the BBQ. This one is super quick to toss together and laden with healthy vegetables and tasty mangoes. A spicy -enough for all, but not too spicy- vinaigrette tops it off. This is the dish you will want to bring to the BBQ all summer, trust us.
And trust us you also want to use good beans, they are more tender and taste better. Rancho Gordo is our pick. We are including Nissa’s bean cooking instructions from an article she wrote on budget cooking and farmers market shopping for Edible Marin Magazine.
Use Tommy Atkins mangoes if you can, their firmer flesh stands up in this hearty salad.
Mango Red Cabbage Bean Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
Bean salads make a healthy and filling summer meal. They are packed with protein, can be served cold and withstand sitting out at the BBQ. This one is super quick to toss together and laden with healthy vegetables and tasty mangoes. A spicy -enough for all, but not too spicy- vinaigrette tops it off. This is the dish you will want to bring to the BBQ all summer, trust us.
And trust us you also want to use good beans, they are more tender and taste better. Rancho Gordo is our pick.
Use Tommy Atkins mangoes if you can, their firmer flesh stands up in this hearty salad.
Ingredients
1 pound of white beans
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (O brand with citrus is perfect)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups shredded red cabbage
½ cup chopped bell peppers, red, yellow, orange or a combination of
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 ripe mangoes, cubed small
1/4 cup olive oil ( use a good quality olive oil)
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons finely chopped serrano chili
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Method
Cook the beans per the instructions on the bean package. Make sure you do not overcook the, we don’t want them to soft. They should be firm on the outside, soft inside. We like to add the salt at the end of cooking beans, during the last 30-40 minutes of cooking.
Once the beans are cooked. Strain the water out of the beans and put them in a large flattish bowl, douse them with the vinegar and let them come to room temperature.
Toss in the spinach, cabbage, peppers and cilantro leaves and mix up. Add the mangoes and gently mix up again. Drizzle the oil and lime juice over the top, add the serrano peppers and sprinkle the spice over it all. Gently mix together and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
How to Cook a Pot of Beans
Advice by Steve Sando, Recipe by Nissa Pierson
Making a pot of beans means cooking them gently until soft. Add ham bones, chicken stock, vegetables, onions and garlic for flavor. Some kind of fat is essential, whether olive oil, bacon drippings or even lard.
There’s no need to pre-soak Rancho Gordo beans. They are no more than a year old. Pre-soaking can lead to the beans cooking too quickly. Dried grocery store beans can be over 8 years old.
Don’t mix bean varieties. You lose what’s special about each. Use the luscious bean broth created when making a pot of beans.
Yields 6 cups of cooked beans
Ingredients
1 pound Rancho Gordo White Beans
2 green onions, sliced
2 gloves garlic
½ poblano pepper, deseeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil (optional)
Method
Rinse the beans well and add them, along with the other ingredients, to a large pot filled with water. Cover the beans by at least 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a hard boil, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until the beans are tender but still firm.
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