legume salads 167
warm chickpea salad with
wilted spinach and spiced
brown butter vinaigrette
3 cups chickpeas, washed, picked over,
1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
and soaked overnight in cool water
and coarsely ground
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
(or 6 cups drained canned chickpeas)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice;
1 bay leaf
and coarsely ground
more as needed
1⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter,
olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon tumeric
cut into about 8 pieces
Kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne
6 handfuls baby spinach, about
1 red onion, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
Pinch of cinnamon
12 ounces, washed and dried
3⁄4 cup drained diced canned tomatoes
This is a comfort food salad, perfect on a cold, damp evening. I especially like it with poached eggs (see p. XX). Prop them on the chickpeas and drizzle the brown butter vinaigrette over everything. Serve with a warm, crusty baguette—you’ll want to mop up the plate.
ServeS 6
Drain the chickpeas, put them in a medium pot, and add water to cover
by 11⁄2 inches. Add the bay leaf and 1 tablespoon of oil, and bring to a boil.
Season with a generous pinch of salt, reduce the heat, and simmer gently
until the chickpeas are tender, about 11⁄2 hours. If the chickpeas start to
peak through the cooking liquid, add a splash more water. Remove from
the heat, set aside at room temperature, and let the chickpeas cool slowly
in their liquid.
Warm a large (10- to 12-inch), straight-sided skillet over medium heat.
Add 1⁄4 cup oil, the onion, and tomatoes. Season with salt, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain the chickpeas but reserve the cooking liquid. Add the chickpeas to
the onion and tomato mixture, and add 1 cup cooking liquid (or water,
if using canned chickpeas.) Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer
gently for about 10 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary; the chickpeas
should be moist, but not soupy. Set aside.
168 legume salads
To make the vinaigrette, combine the cumin, coriander, paprika, tumeric, cayenne, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Have the garlic, ginger, lemon
juice, and remaining 1⁄4 cup oil ready. Melt the butter in a small pot over
medium-high heat and swirl until the butter smells nutty and lots of brown
flecks start to appear, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spices, garlic, and ginger
and swirl over the heat for 15 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and
immediately whisk in the oil, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if necessary. Set aside in the pot.
Shortly before you are ready to serve, rewarm the chickpeas over medium
heat. Add the spinach in large handfuls and cook until just wilted. Season
with salt, and spoon the chickpeas into shallow, individual bowls. Briefly
swirl the vinaigrette over medium heat to rewarm, whisk well, and drizzle
about 11⁄2 tablespoons on each serving of spinach and chickpeas. Serve
immediately.
legume salads 169
lentil and piquillo pepper salad
with toasted garlic vinaigrette
11⁄2 cups green lentils, picked over
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil;
12 roasted piquillo peppers, torn into
1
1 bay leaf
more for drizzling
⁄2-inch-wide strips
2
Kosher salt
4 large cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
⁄3 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
1⁄4 cup sherry vinegar
more about
I generally roast my own peppers, but fire-roasted piquillo peppers from the Basque piquillo pepperS
region of Spain have a unique sweet and spicy flavor that is delicious. They’re Picquillo peppers, red peppers in the
particularly good with sherry vinegar and garlic.
shape of a “little beak” (the meaning
This salad is delicious sprinkled with rustic croutons (see p. XX), dotted with goat’s of their name), have a unique smoky-milk cheese, or served with grilled or pan-fried shrimp or lamb chops.
rich flavor that is mildly spicy and
ServeS 4
sweet--and delicious. They are grown
in northern Spain and roasted over a
wood fire, peeled, and packed in jars
Put the lentils and bay leaf in a medium pot and cover with water by
or tins. They can be used right out of the
2 inches. Bring to a boil and season with a generous pinch of salt. Reduce
jar (scrape off any seeds). Dice or slice,
the heat and simmer gently until the lentils are tender but not mushy (you
or tear them into rustic strips and add
want them to retain their shape), 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the age
them salads, or chop them finely and
of the lentils. If the lentils start to peak through the cooking liquid, add a add them to vinaigrettes.
splash more water. When done, pour the lentils and their cooking liquid
into a large, shallow container. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Set
aside at room temperature and let the lentils cool slowly in their liquid.
You can refrigerate the lentils for up to 2 days at this point; return them
to room temperature before serving.
To make the vinaigrette, warm a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the
olive oil and garlic, and sauté, swirling the pan, until the garlic is golden
brown (don’t let it burn). Transfer the garlic and oil to a medium bowl and
add the vinegar and a pinch of salt. Add the peppers and stir to combine.
Taste and add more salt if necessary. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and drain the lentils well. Add the lentils and parsley
to the bowl with the peppers. Toss gently to combine and taste for salt.
Spoon the salad onto a platter or individual serving plates, and finish with
a generous drizzle of olive oil. Serve at room temperature.
170 legume salads
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cannellini bean salad with
grilled shrimp and cherry tomatoes
2 cups dry cannelli beans, washed, picked
1 large clove garlic, pounded to a smooth
1⁄2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
over, and soaked ovenight in cool water
paste with a pinch of salt
3⁄4 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and
(or 5 cups drained cooked cannellini
21⁄2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar;
pale green parts), cut at a slight angle
beans, at room temperature)
more as needed
1⁄2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro,
1 bay leaf
21⁄2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon
plus a few leafy sprigs, for garnish
1⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
juice; more as needed
Allepo pepper, for sprinkling
olive oil; more for brushing and drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper
Aioli (p. XX), for serving
Kosher salt
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
tip Al epo pepper is a delicious
With cooked beans on hand, salads like this come together fairly quickly. I use mild red chile from Turkey, so you
wooden skewers presoaked in water for grilling shrimp, but you can use metal
can be generous when sprinkling it
skewers if you have them. If grilling isn’t an option, sauté the shrimp in a little olive on finished salads. If you want more
oil in a hot pan. When sautéing shrimp I often halve them lengthwise—they curl into heat, add a good pinch of cayenne
beautiful shapes and absorb the salt nicely. You can halve the shrimp before grilling to the vinaigrette, or finish the salad
as well, but it’s a little more labor intensive to thread on the skewers.
with Piment d’Espelette in place of
In lieu of the shrimp, try tuna confit (see p. XX) or squid (see p. XX.) A handful of the Al epo.
cooked thin green beans a delicious addition as well.
ServeS 4
Drain the cannellini beans, put them in a medium pot, and add enough
water to cover by 11⁄2 inches. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce
the heat to a simmer and add the bay leaf and 1 tablespoon of oil, and
season with a generous pinch of salt. Simmer gently until the beans are
tender, about 11⁄2 hours. If the beans start to peak through the cooking
liquid, add a splash more water. Remove from the heat, set aside at room
temperature, and let the beans cool slowly in their liquid.
Prepare a medium hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill. Put 8 to 10 long,
wooden skewers in a shallow dish large enough to accommodate their full
length of the skewers. Cover with water and set aside to soak for 15 to 20
minutes.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice in a
small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1⁄2 cup oil.
Taste and adjust the vinaigrette with more salt if necessary. Set aside.
Drain the cannellini beans well (you should have about 5 cups) and transfer
to a large work bowl. Season with salt and a few twists of black pepper.
Drizzle about two-thirds of the vinaigrette on top and gently but thoroughly
toss the salad to combine. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if necessary.
Set aside at room temperature while you grill the shrimp.
172 legume salads
Remove the skewers from the water. Using a pair of skewers positioned about 1⁄2 inch apart, skewer the shrimp, spacing the shrimp about 1⁄4 inch
apart and leaving about 4 inches at the base of each set of skewers. (The
shrimp are more stable and easier to work with if you use sets of 2 skewers.)
Brush the shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the
skewers on the grill and cook for about 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes on each side, just
until the shrimp is pink and lightly marked from the grill. Remove from
the grill, and carefully slide the shrimp off of the skewers and into a bowl.
Drizzle about 2 tablespoons vinaigrette on top and toss lightly to combine.
Add the cherry tomatoes, scallions, and chopped cilantro to the beans,
season lightly with salt, and gently toss to combine. Taste once more, and
add more salt, vinegar, or lemon juice if necessary. Spoon the salad onto
a platter or individual serving plates, and tuck the shrimp here and there.
Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with a generous amount
of Allepo pepper, and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Finish with a generous
dollop of aioli or pass separately at the table. Serve immediately.
aioli
makeS about 1 cup
1 egg yolk
1 large clove garlic, pounded to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt
1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar, to taste (optional)
Combine the egg yolk, 1⁄2 teaspoon water, and about half of the garlic in
tip If the aioli breaks, start the process
a medium bowl. Before you begin whisking in the oil, steady the bowl:
again with another egg yolk and another
Twist a dishtowel into a rope and form it into a ring about the size of the
bowl. Add a couple drops of water, and
base of the bowl. Fit the bowl snuggly into the ring. Begin whisking and
slowly whisk the broken mixture into the
slowly start adding the oil, literally a drop at a time. As the mixture begins yolk, and then finish with any remaining
to thicken and emulsify, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until
olive oil.
the mixture is perfectly emulsified. If the aioli becomes too thick in the
process, add another splash of water and continue to add the remainder
of the oil. Once all of the oil has been added, taste and add more garlic
and salt if needed. A squeeze of fresh lemon or a drop or two of red-wine
vinegar is sometimes nice to add a touch of acidity.
legume salads 173
fresh shelling and green bean
salad with tomato, garlic &
marjoram
41⁄2 cups shucked fresh shelling beans
1⁄2 pound green or yellow string beans,
3 medium-size, ripe, fragrant tomatoes,
(about 5 pounds in the pod), such as
trimmed and halved at an angle
about 1 pound 2 ounces, cut into 1⁄2-inch
cranberry beans, cannellini beans, or
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
dice or rustic chunks
black-eyed peas
1
2 cloves garlic
⁄2 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf
1⁄4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin
parsley
olive oil; more as needed
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed well and patted
dry (optional)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh
1 bay leaf
marjoram
1⁄4 cup red-wine vinegar; more as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
add SubStance
Use two or three varieties of fresh shelling beans for a more beautiful salad. Be sure This salad is also delicious
to cook each variety separately, though, and drain them well before combining them.
with gril ed meats or fish and
While the shelling beans make this salad special, don’t hesitate to make it with a generous dol op of aioli
dried beans (use about 5 cups cooked beans.) Also try basil in place of the marjoram, (see p. XX).
though you may want a little m ore than 2 tablespoons (marjoram packs more punch than basil.)
ServeS 4
tip For a change of pace, serve
this salad spooned over bruschetta
(thick slices of gril ed bread, lightly
Put the beans in a heavy medium pot. Add water to cover by 1 inch,
rubbed with garlic and drizzled
1 tablespoon oil, and the bay leaf, and season with a generous pinch of salt.
with fruity olive oil) with thinly
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook the beans until
sliced prosciutto or dry cured
tender and creamy, about 30 minutes. If the beans start to peak through the
salami on the side. A few leaves of
cooking liquid, add a splash more water. Taste for salt and set aside to cool
arugula finishe
s the plate nicely.
at room temperature. (You can refrigerate the beans for up to 2 days at this
point. Return to room temperature before finishing the salad.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with a generous amount of
salt—it should taste almost like seawater. Have a baking sheet lined with
parchment ready. Add the green or yellow beans to the boiling water and
cook until just crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the type and
size of the beans. Drain the beans, spread them on the baking sheet, and
set aside at room temperature to cool. (If you’re concerned that the beans
are slightly overcooked, put them in the refrigerator to cool.)
174 legume salads
Put the shallot in a small bowl and cover with ice water to crisp and remove some its hot, gassy flavor.
With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic to a smooth paste with a
pinch of salt. Add the anchovy and pound again until smooth. Transfer
the mixture to a small bowl (or leave in the mortar if it’s large enough).
Add the vinegar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining
6 tablespoons oil. Taste and adjust with more salt if necessary. Set aside.
Drain the shelling beans and shallot well. Put the shelling beans, string
beans, shallot, tomatoes, and herbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and a
few twists of black pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and toss very gently to combine. Taste and add more salt, vinegar, and/or oil if necessary. Spoon
the salad onto a platter or individual serving plates and serve.
legume salads 175
KS_TP_SqdChkP_51.tif
spicy squid and chickpea salad
11⁄2 cups (101⁄4 ounces) chickpeas, washed,
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1⁄3 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf
picked over, and soaked overnight in
Freshly ground black pepper
parsley
cool water (or 3 1⁄2 cups drained canned
Cayenne (optional)
chickpeas, warmed or
1 large clove garlic, pounded to a
at room temperature)
smooth paste with a pinch of salt
4 handfuls frisée (pale center leaves
only), about 4 ounces
1 bay leaf
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon
3⁄
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or
4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
juice; more as needed
olive oil
fresh lemon juice; more as needed
1⁄2 cup toasted breadcrumbs (see p. XX;
Salad for Dinner Page 21