Bean and Arugula Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

There was a time this summer when I couldn’t eat any more arugula. I loved the peppery leaves that took over my garden but I was struggling to keep up, and they don’t freeze well. I beat them back almost daily, knocking off the flowers that insisted on popping up and making the stems tough and woody, and reaping the enormous harvest.

So, like most greens, I wanted ways to soften it a little and save my digestive track all that rough fibre going down. Normally with swiss chard, collard greens, and kale that means stewing them gently with mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin. Toss in a little water and salt and let it cook with the lid on.

But arugula loses its peppery-ness when you cook it. And while the lovers of baby arugula everywhere may want to rid the world of pepperiness (pepperyness? The flavour of pepper?) since the baby leaves are mild while the grown ones have some backbone, I like a leafy green that can stand up for itself.

So the trick here is to barely cook the greens. It’s nowhere near as pungent as eating them raw, but when you have tons and tons of a green, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Now my arugula is all gone and I’m into swiss chard. So much swiss chard. Would that I had some arugula…

Bean and Arugula Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

2 cups cooked kidney beans (see below for dried beans instructions. They’re worlds apart from canned)
2 cups swiss chard
2 cups arugula and/or swiss chard (though thinly sliced kale or more swiss chard would also work. Collards would work but would need to cook longer in the water)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (or freshly grated turmeric if you have it)
2 sprigs fresh epazote, optional (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil

If using swiss chard, remove leaves from stem and roughly chop each into about 1″ slices. Keeps stems and leaves separate. Heat water in a medium pot. Add 1/4 tsp salt, bay leaf, turmeric and epazote and bring to a boil. Add swiss chard stems, stir, cover and cook 3 minutes, until almost tender. Add swiss chard leaves, stir well, cover and cook 2 minutes. Add cooked beans and turn off heat. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in arugula. Cover and set aside.

Combine red wine vinegar, honey, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl or shake in a small container. Whisk in olive oil. Drain beans and greens well and place in a large bowl. Pour over dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. I like it pretty acidic. Add more olive oil to soften it. Toss well to combine. Serve warm.

How to Cook Dried Beans

You only need 1 cup of dried beans (=2 cups cooked beans) for the recipe above, but make more and then toss them in salads, with rice, blend them with salt and pepper for a sandwich spread, or freeze them for next time. Frozen, home-cooked beans are way better than canned. All the strange sounding herbs and spices are for digestion. They’re all optional, but will help if you have trouble with beans.

2 cups dried kidney, navy, or white beans
14 cups water, divided
1 bay leaf
1/2″ ginger, optional (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp turmeric (or 1 tsp freshly ground)
2 sprigs epazote, optional (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp achiote, optional

Soak beans in 6 cups of cold water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and place in a large pot with the remaining 8 cups of water and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Skim scum from top as it rises (if you used turmeric it will be orange and easy to see). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. The beans may need up to 30 minutes more if they’re old, but try one now and if it’s not soft, keep cooking. They shouldn’t split or be mushy, but they should be that chewy either. Drain bean and remove bay leaf, ginger and epazote sprigs.