Just the thought that as a child I ate fried eggs whenever my mum cooked beans, makes me wonder about the success of my culinary career. Thankfully I appreciated the taste and goodness of beans as a grown up. In Cyprus we have seasonal fresh beans (we call them “Ksikounia”, pronounced ksee-coo-nya) and they are absolutely delicious and sweet. Tradition in Cyprus says, we cook beans every Monday, so you can call this salad “leftover Tuesday”.
I love purslane in salads and it pairs so well with the beans. Black or gree olives for that sharp taste, radishes for a little bit of crunchy spice and the most amazing green dressing. This salad is vegan heaven but if you eat dairy then the addition of feta or haloumi croutons is amazing!
Bean and purslane salad
One of the best vegan choices on the blog! This salad is so healthy and delicious with the most amazing green dressing. If you eat dairy, the addition of feta or haloumi croutons adds a delicious taste kick. Love it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry canellini beans soaked in water from the previous night
- 1 bunch of purslane the leaves (about 2 cups)
- 1 cucumber sliced
- 15 cherry tomatoes divided
- 2 radishes sliced
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1/3 cup black olives pitted
- 2 Tbsp capers
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp mint leaves
- 1 Tbsp parsley leaves
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Drain the soaked beans and transfer them to a pot with plenty of clean water to boil. Once they come to the boil, change the water, bring again to a boil and add salt. Let them cook until they are just cooked. Drain them and let them cool.
- To prepare the dressing, transfer all the ingredients to a small blender and grind until you have a smooth sauce.
- Place all the vegetables in a bowl except the olives and the capers and add the beans (cold). Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and mix well.
- Serve the salad in a deep dish garnished with the capers and olives. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper if needed.