Recipe: Sea bean salad

Sea bean salad

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Note: Adapted from Joan’s on Third. Sea beans may be available at select Asian markets as well as online at earthy.com

and marxfoods.com; you can also contact your local produce manager to see if the market might order them for you. If you cannot locate sea beans, an equal amount of snow peas or pea shoots can be substituted.

1/2 pound sea beans

3/4 pound yellow wax beans

1/2 pound shelled edamame beans (about 2 cups)

1 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled garlic

3/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sea beans and blanch for 10 seconds to brighten the color, then strain and place the beans in cold water to stop the cooking and cool the beans. Drain the cooled beans and set aside in a large bowl.

2. In the same boiling water, blanch the wax beans just until tender, about 2 minutes. Strain the beans and shock them in cold water until cooled, then drain and cut the beans in half. Add the wax beans to the large bowl with the sea beans, then add the edamame.

3. In a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic begins to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and place the garlic oil mixture in a small bowl to stop the cooking.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, mustard and pepper, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the garlic oil mixture until combined. This makes a scant 2 cups dressing, more than is needed for the remainder of the recipe; the dressing will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week.

5. Add the dressing to the beans a few tablespoons at a time, tossing the salad until it is coated to taste. This makes about 6 cups of salad.

Each serving: 534 calories; 18 grams protein; 44 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 12 grams sugar; 292 mg sodium.