A healthy dish packed with protein and fiber. Serve it as a side or as a main dish.
Beans are a common staple food consumed for thousands of years. They come in different varieties, such as kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, and navy beans, among others. Not only are they a cost-effective food option, but they also have numerous health benefits.
Source of fiber and protein
Beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, an essential nutrient responsible for maintaining bowel regularity and promoting digestive health. They have both soluble and insoluble fiber, and soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol levels by binding to bile acids that would otherwise be reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, helps prevent constipation by adding bulk to stool and speeding up its movement through the intestines.
Beans are also a rich source of plant-based protein, essential for building and repairing tissues in the body. They are an excellent food option, especially for vegans and vegetarians who do not consume animal products. Beans are a complete protein source, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce independently.
Do beans count as vegetable or protein?
So, do I count beans as vegetables or protein in my diet? Well, it is not that easy to answer. Based on the nutrition found in beans, they qualify for both the vegetable and the protein food group. According to USDA MyPlate, the general rule is this: Count all the proteins you have eaten besides beans. If this adds up to your recommended amount of protein, you count beans as vegetables. If not, you can count beans as protein until you reach this number.
The four-bean salad combines different bean flavors and includes crunchiness with celery and onions. This is not the bland side dish you may have tried before, but an experience various legumes offer.
I use this salad sometimes as a side dish and an hors d’oeuvre. But, mostly, I have it as a main meal. The complexity of this dish, combined with a hearty piece of bread, does not miss much to qualify as a great lunch or even dinner.
This recipe is suitable for four as a meal. One portion (excluding the bread) has 443 calories with 22g of fiber, 21g of protein, and only 10g of fat, while the fat comes from healthy olive oil. (Estimated values calculated with a nutrition app.)
Four-Bean Salad
Ingredients
1 can (15.5oz) Pinto Beans
1 can (15.5oz) Cannellini Beans
1 can (15.5oz) Kidney Beans
1 can (15.5oz) Cut Green Beans
1 large Onion
3 stalks Celery
4 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp chopped fresh Dill (substitute with 1 tbsp dried Dill)
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Celery Seeds
2 tbsp Sugar (note 1)
Salt and Pepper to taste (approx. 1 tsp of Salt and 1 tsp of Pepper)
The Process
Drain and rinse the beans.
Chop the onion into small pieces.
Cut the ends off the celery and chop it into pieces approximately the size of a bean.
Chop the dill. Remove most of the hard stems before chopping.
Peel the garlic and process it into a large bowl through a garlic press.
Add celery seeds, sugar, chopped dill, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
Pour apple cider vinegar into the bowl and stir well.
Let it rest for approx. 15 minutes.
Using a whisk, add the olive oil to the bowl. Pour slowly while whisking to create an emulsion.
Add beans, chopped celery, and chopped onions to the bowl and carefully mix everything.
Cover the bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and stir again to mix all the juices with the beans and vegetables.
If this is a main meal, serve the four-bean salad in a soup bowl with a hearty piece of sourdough bread.
Notes
Do I really need 2 tbsp of sugar? You certainly can reduce the amount if you try to reduce your sugar consumption. However, sugar is critical to balance the acidity in vinegar. The salad will taste more sour, which might be overpowering. I highly recommend NOT using any sugar substitutes. It would alter the taste too much. And, by the way, honey is not a healthier alternative to reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake.
Wine Pairing
Dry Riesling from the Nahe area in Germany, such as
Schlossgut Diel Nahesteiner Riesling Trocken 2020
or other dry Riesling.
Why:
Already, the Romans made wine in the area around the river Nahe. With this incredible experience, winemakers here produce mainly Riesling. The soil and climate in this area give the wine a perfect balance of ripe tropical fruit, white flower, and sharp acidity (although not too sour). The 2020 Riesling Nahesteiner is deep and concentrated on the nose, showing ripe and matured stone fruit aromas. Full-bodied, this is a rich, ripe, elegant, crystalline, textured Riesling that complements our bean dish well. Even if you cannot get this wine, stick with a dry Riesling from the Nahe.
Music Pairing
Joe Cocker - The Letter
Why:
A happy song with the rich voice of Joe Cocker and the crisp tones of brass instruments and piano accompany the flavors and experience of our Four-Bean Salad perfectly.
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