Here is a great salad that was a huge crowd pleaser a few weeks ago when I served this recipe for lunch. It is a simple salad that is grounded in the basis that the majority of the ingredients are legumes. Legumes are basically vegetables and or fruit that are grown in a pod (beans, peas, peanuts...). This salad takes a lot of simple ingredients and turns into a fantastic salad that leaves you not only satisfied but also feeling great. There a few variations that you could easily add to this recipe like cheese or lettuce which I did on another version but not seen in the photo. I remember everyone cleaning their plates and saying that this was a fantastic dish. What a great way to either start the meal or if you are a vegetarian as a main course, either way this is one you want to keep in your back pocket for unexpected surprise. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it.
Recipe Ingredients
Legume salad
1 cup of beluga lentils cooked with charred onion,1 sprig of rosemary, 2 garlic cloves, salt
1 cup of rice beans cooked with charred onion,1 sprig of rosemary,2 garlic cloves, salt
1 cup of heirloom (black) beans cooked with charred onion, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 garlic cloves, salt
1 cup of fava beans blanched and peeled
1 cup of snap peas blanch and chopped and hulled
1 cup of green beans blanched and chopped small
1/2 cup roasted peanuts salted
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 cured egg yolks (4 yolks, 1 1/4 cup of sugar and salt)
2 oz of manouri cheese (optional not shown in picture)
1 oz of pea sprouts
Garlic Goddess dressing
3 anchovy
1/4 cup roasted garlic with oil
1/4 cup white balsamic (good quality)
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch basil
1 cup veganaise or mayo
Salt and pepper to taste
Chive flowers
Recipe Instructions
How to cure egg yolks,
In a bowl mix together salt and sugar. In shallow dish add enough of the salt and sugar mix to coat the bottom. Then make 4 indents and carefully place the yolks in each indent. Then cover the yolks with the remaining cure mix. Place in the refrigerator for 4 days. Then take out and carefully remove all of the salt and sugar from the yolks. Heat oven or dehydrator to 150 degrees. Spray wire rack with non stick spray and place yolks on them. Place in the oven or dehydrator for 2 hours until the yolk has firm up. Let it cool, then keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator until needed.
How to Cook beans, lentils, and heirlooms
Fill with water in 3 separate pots with charred onion, rosemary, garlic, and salt. Cook until tender (lentils approx 30 min, beans approx. 1 hr) Set aside to cool in their cooking water.
Blanch snap peas and then shock in an ice bath. Repeat for the green beans and fava beans. Cut to desired shapes and set aside. Keep a few snap peas whole and take off one side for garnish.
How to make Green Goddess
Place anchovies, roasted garlic, white balsamic, and herbs in a vitamix. Puree until smooth. Then fold puree into veganaise or mayo. Season and set aside.
To finish the dish,
Strain out the beans, keep the water for another purpose. Place 1 cup of each rice bean, heirloom, lentil, fava, green bean, pea, snap peas in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a generous spoonful of green goddess on the plate. Then add all the legumes to the plate. Add peanuts to each plate. Grate cured egg yolk on top. Add (cheese if desired, not shown) pea sprouts, 1 pea pod, and chive flowers. Serve and enjoy!
