Bean Salad with Summer Squash, Corn and a Vegan Yogurt Dressing - Guest Blogger The Dancers Pantry's Chelsea Farrah
We were very excited this month, not only to feature heirloom beans from Rancho Llano Seco in Chico, California, but also to have our first recipe contribution from food blogger Chelsea Farrah of The Dancer's Pantry. Why very excited about these Zuni Gold beans and you can find out here.
We are also very excited about partnering with Chelsea Farrah. We've been following The Dancers Pantry for some time now as we love her simple, approachable recipes, and it's a win that they are all plant-based. Nothing against animal foods, but lately we really feel like we need more plant food in our life. Especially that we live in the 5th largest growing region in the world! We are literally surrounded by 11,000 small farms growing everything from pomegranates to walnuts to olives. We are so lucky to be able to eat seasonally year round here in Sacramento. We love this recipe and think you will too. Let us know how you like it and those Zuni Gold Beans. And be sure to follow Chelsea on Instagram, her photos of her food are as good as the recipes! Now, for the recipe she created for us using Zuni Gold heirloom beans from Rancho Llano Seco.
Recipe
Bean Salad with Summer Squash, Corn, and a Vegan Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients:
Produce for Salad:
- 2 yellow squash
- 2 zucchini
- 1 cup of yellow corn
- 2 cups of Zuni Gold Beans
- 3-4 cups of baby arugula
- 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Half of a lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of non-dairy plain yogurt
- Salt
To begin, cover 2 cups of Zuni gold beans with 4 cups of clean cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pot of beans and simmer on low for roughly 50 minutes. Taste the beans at the 40 minute mark. The beans should begin to soften. Press 1 bean between your fingers to test for doneness.
*Depending on your stovetop, size of pot, etc, it may take a little longer for the beans to cook.
When the beans have finished cooking, remove them from the heat, strain into a colander and set aside to come to room temperature.
Chop the yellow squash and zucchini into 1/2 inch pieces and sauté on medium high heat in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
If you are using frozen corn (which I recommend), rinse 1 cup under warm water then strain. Add the corn to the sauté pan of zucchini and squash, and sauté with another pinch of salt for 3-5 minutes.
The vegetables should be done when they are fork tender and have a slight char on each side. Set vegetables aside to allow them to cool before assembling the salad.
While the vegetables and the beans are cooling, it's time to make the dressing.
In a mason jar, or a medium size bowl, place 2 tablespoons of vegan plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard, half a lemon (juice only), 3-5 cloves of minced garlic, a half cup of olive oil, and a teaspoon of salt. Whisk together with a fork, or place the lid on the jar and shake for 15 seconds. The dressings should be smooth and creamy. If it is too thick in texture, add a little more olive oil to loosen.
To assemble the salad, toss the beans and sautéed vegetables with the baby arugula. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss again.
Enjoy this salad as a hearty lunch, or a side dish to a dinner entree.