Serving Size: about 2 cups
Yield: 4 servings, about 2 cups each
Servings: 4
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Beans add protein to this tasty riff on the classic Middle Eastern salad fattoush, made with lettuce, cucumbers, tomato, mint and pita bread.
Ingredients
- 2 6-inch whole-wheat pita breads, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ground toasted cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans, well drained and slightly warmed
- 1 cup diced plum tomatoes or 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 cup sliced romaine lettuce
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spread pita pieces out on a large baking sheet. Bake until crisp and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool on the pan.
- Mash garlic and salt with the back of a chef’s knife to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add lemon juice and ground cumin and whisk to blend. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking continually. Season with pepper.
- Place beans, tomatoes and cucumber in a serving bowl. Add the toasted pita, lettuce, feta, parsley, mint and the dressing; toss to mix. Season with more pepper. Serve immediately.
Tips
Make Ahead Tips:
- Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 3) for up to 3 days.
How To:
- How to Cook a Pot of Beans 1. Pick over 1 pound dry beans to remove any pebbles or broken beans and rinse well under cold water. Place in a large bowl, cover with 3 inches of cold water and soak for 4 to 24 hours. 2. When you’re ready to cook the beans, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 small chopped onion, 2 to 3 chopped garlic cloves and 1 chopped celery stalk (optional). Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the beans and add to the pan. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the freshness of the beans. If at any time the liquid level drops below the beans, add 1 cup hot water. When the beans are nearly soft, stir in 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Makes about 6 cups. 3. Refrigerate beans in their cooking liquid for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. One pound dry beans makes 5 to 6 cups cooked. For recipe substitutions, use about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans in place of one 15-ounce can of beans.
- Toast cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Grind in a spice mill or blender into a fine powder.
