Recipe: Bean Salad in Chimichurri Sauce
I make a lot of bean salads but this one came out especially well. This is the first time I've used a sauce like this and it was a wonderful match.
I used black beans and lentils, but you can substitute any legumes you wish. Something with some color would have been nice. Be sure to cook them so they are done but still firm. If they are mushy, you'll end up with bean dip, not bean salad.
2 cups dry black beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cups french green lentils, rinsed in water
I cooked these separately (though in the same pot) so I wouldn't risk having to overcook one. Feel free to cook them together if you're better with timing than I am. Cook until done but firm, drain well (liquid is great for soup stock (freeze it) or put on plants outside).
4-5 small bell peppers
Cut in half, remove cap and seeds and slice into thin strips (cut in half if more than 3" or so). Put on baking dish with a touch of olive oil and bake until soft. I did 25 mins at 350*F in a convention oven. If you use a regular oven, stir them every 5-10 mins.
Add peppers to beans, stir lightly, and make the sauce.
In a blender, put the following (these are approximate amounts):
Juice from 3-4 large limes
1 bunch parsley (remove last couple inches of stem)
1 bunch mint, just the leaves
Salt to taste (put more than you normally would, as the beans are bland)
Cumin seed, about 2 tsp (powdered is fine too if it's fresh)
Extra virgin olive oil, enough to make it blend smoothly, about 1/2 cup
Blend until smooth but leave some texture to the herbs. Sauce should be gloppy but not too thick. Taste for salt, seasoning, and for proper balance of acid and oil (since limes vary in both size and acidity, you can't do this based on volume).
Mix in sauce. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Variation: for a bit of spice, make some of the peppers medium heat ones and cut fine (leave some peppers large and mild) or add hot pepper to the sauce. Traditional chimichurri sauce has garlic, but I prefer to leave it out.
I used black beans and lentils, but you can substitute any legumes you wish. Something with some color would have been nice. Be sure to cook them so they are done but still firm. If they are mushy, you'll end up with bean dip, not bean salad.
2 cups dry black beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 cups french green lentils, rinsed in water
I cooked these separately (though in the same pot) so I wouldn't risk having to overcook one. Feel free to cook them together if you're better with timing than I am. Cook until done but firm, drain well (liquid is great for soup stock (freeze it) or put on plants outside).
4-5 small bell peppers
Cut in half, remove cap and seeds and slice into thin strips (cut in half if more than 3" or so). Put on baking dish with a touch of olive oil and bake until soft. I did 25 mins at 350*F in a convention oven. If you use a regular oven, stir them every 5-10 mins.
Add peppers to beans, stir lightly, and make the sauce.
In a blender, put the following (these are approximate amounts):
Juice from 3-4 large limes
1 bunch parsley (remove last couple inches of stem)
1 bunch mint, just the leaves
Salt to taste (put more than you normally would, as the beans are bland)
Cumin seed, about 2 tsp (powdered is fine too if it's fresh)
Extra virgin olive oil, enough to make it blend smoothly, about 1/2 cup
Blend until smooth but leave some texture to the herbs. Sauce should be gloppy but not too thick. Taste for salt, seasoning, and for proper balance of acid and oil (since limes vary in both size and acidity, you can't do this based on volume).
Mix in sauce. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Variation: for a bit of spice, make some of the peppers medium heat ones and cut fine (leave some peppers large and mild) or add hot pepper to the sauce. Traditional chimichurri sauce has garlic, but I prefer to leave it out.