Carrot, Bean + Herb Salad

This is a riff on one of my 101 Cookbooks faves and it's as easy as it gets. Heidi's version calls for white beans + dill; I make this with whatever beans I have cooked and herbs on hand. My latest version was especially fantastic and here it is: with ramps, mini Yellow Indian Woman beans, cilantro, and chives. Instead of pan roasting carrots and adding raw shallots, I oven-roasted the carrots with a couple of chopped ramps. Holla! While the almonds may seem like a weird addition, they are lots of the reason this is so amazing. Great for vegans and those watching the calories!

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

2 T. olive oil
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots/garlic/ramps/other allium

3 cups cooked beans (from 1 c. dry - I often use Allubia Criollo from Rancho Gordo; most kinds work, just experiment)
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs - dill is what Heidi uses; I love this with cilantro or parsley, and some chives
Honey to taste, about 1 tsp to 1 T.
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper (optional)

Oven roast the carrots at 350 degrees with the olive oil and the chopped shallots/ramps/whatever for 30-45 mins, depending on the size of the carrots. They should be bright orange with some nice brown edges.

Toss the beans and herbs with the carrots and add a squeeze of lemon juice, honey, and salt + pepper. You shouldn't really need more olive oil but if things look dry, add a splash.

Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. A sprinkle of Aleppo pepper works really well too. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side.

BRAIN FOOD

Garlic roasted lima beans, wheat berries, and arugula salad with avocado, bell pepper, sprouts and lemon and garlic dressing.

A simplified version of my favorite Winter soup.

I think I made that Kabocha squash and French lentil soup from 101 cookbooks at least 20 times in the months since Heidi posted it. I am obsessed. It is the best soup ever. (Okay, its tied with the white beans and greens soup and black bean soup that my mom has been making me since I was very wee.)But, it's labor intensive and uses a lot of dishes and squash season is over. So, I've re-done the recipe to make it a one pot, one cutting board, one knife kind of pantry recipe. The lovely thing is that this soup costs about $5 to make, thins out beautifully (so you can really stretch it), and lends itself to impulsive variations. It also makes its own tasty broth, so there's no need to whip up or buy veggie stock saving both money and time, things I am definitely short on lately! I've made it three times this week and have had it cold, over rice, with a salad, thinned out with water, thickened up with greens, topped with red pepper purée...and it just keeps satisfying me. So, I hope that if you try it, you'll like it at least half as much as I do.



Necessary Ingredients
(about) 1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, 1/4" dice
1 small sweet onion, 1/4" dice
1 medium size thin skinned potato, 1/4" dice (I like Yukon Gold and you could add 2 potatoes if you want it to be heartier.)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4- 1 cup French Lentils
2 dried bay leaves
1 star anise
1/2 tsp dried ginger
5- 6 cups filtered water
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste

Optional Ingredients
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, 1/4" dice (added in with the carrots and onions, this will add a rich sweetness to the soup)
any cubed vegetables that you have lying around. I think some quartered and roasted brusssels sprouts sound like they'd be good thrown in at the end.
puréed roasted bell pepper (1/4 cup) (as a drizzle on top)
chard or kale, chopped
cooked wheat berries or brown rice (to thicken the soup and add body)
a hefty wedge of warm bread (because soup is better with bread!)
cubed avocado (because its great on everything)
Chopped and toasted walnuts as a garnish (Omega 3's!)
...you get the idea.

Start with a large or medium soup pot. Heat the oil and add the onion and carrot, cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The onions can get a little brown, but you're going for clear, fragrant and that good caramelizing smell.

Add the cubed potato and garlic. Stir and cook for just another minute. Do not let the garlic get any color or it will be bitter.

Add the lentils, 4 cups of water and the bay leaves. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 5- 8 minutes (This is a good time to wash your cutting board and clean off the counter...Or, check your email or whatever...This is truly a procrastinatory soup!)

Reduce the heat to low and add the ginger and anise. Simmer partially covered until the lentils are soft. Then add the balsamic and salt to taste. It is important not to add salt or acid until the lentils are fully cooked! Remove the anise and bay leaves and set aside. (I like to throw them in with the left overs...But, you can probably thrown them out.)Add 1- 3 cups more water (depending on how brothy a soup you want) and simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes. At this point you can ladel out what you're going to store and add greens to the pot, but I wouldn't put the greens in the soup you plan to hold as leftovers.

Enjoy!