Three Bean Salad with Soy Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

This is based on an old family recipe for three-bean salad, which we typically make with seven or more varieties of bean just to confuse the issue. The original dressing had a slightly different balance between vinegar and oil (less oil to more vinegar) and had sugar in it - I've included the latter as a variation of this recipe. The sugar makes the dressing somewhat more syrupy and changes the character of the finished salad. I find I like both versions about equally.

- 1 pound frozen Edamame
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can Cannellini beans (a.k.a. "white kidney beans")
- 1 carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/2 large bell pepper
- optional: white and black sesame seeds

And for the vinaigrette:
- 1/3 c peanut oil
- 1/2 c rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- several drops each Chili and Sesame oils
- optional variation: 1/4-1/3 c sugar (not used)

Step 1:

Start by boiling a pot of salted water. Cook the edamame for 3-5 minutes.

Step 2:

While that's boiling, open both cans of beans. Pour them into a colander and rinse thoroughly.

Step 3:

Put the drained beans in a bowl large enough for mixing. Once the Edamame are done, drain them and immediately rinse with cold water.

Add to the bowl with the beans.

Step 4:

Now for the veggie prep. Quarter the bell pepper, then cut each piece lengthwise once before cutting into thin, sort strips.

Step 5:

Quarter the carrot lengthwise and slice thinly.

Step 6:

Halve the celery lengthwise then coarsely chop.

Step 7:

Put all the vegetables on top of the beans.

Step 8:

It's time to make the dressing. Combine the various oils as you like in one bowl. Put the vinegar, soy sauce, and optional sugar in another.

Step 9:

Take a whisk and beat the vinegar vigorously; while doing so, slowly pour the oil into it. Pause occasionally to be sure you're getting the majority of the oil emulsified. (Sorry for no action shot, but when working solo it's pretty hard to photo, whisk, and pour at once.)

Step 10:

Pour over the bean/vegetable mix and stir. Be gentle, as the cannellini beans can be somewhat fragile.

Step 11:

If you want to use the seame seeds, I strongly recommend you toast them first. Just put them in a clean pan.

Step 12:

And toast them until golden brown and smelling like sesame.

Step 13:

Sprinkle over the salad before serving.

Step 14:

Close up of Three Bean Salad with Soy Vinaigrette.