Winter Salad with Beans, Potato & Roasted Beets

The beets color this warm winter salad a delightful purple, but if you like to keep colors separate, add the beets last. This salads good on its own as a side dish, or as a base for pan-fried fish or chicken.



Note: Dried beans benefit from overnight (6-8 hours) soaking in water to cut down on cooking time. The value of beans will increase about 2-3 times, so make sure you cover them with plenty of water, at least 3 cups of water for every cup of beans.

I don't use canned beans, but if you must, make sure to rinse them several times to avoid the unpleasant metallic "canned" flavor.



Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried cannelloni, great northern, or kidney beans beans, soaked overnight (I used the mix of beans)
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup extra olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 4-5 medium red beets, roasted, peeled and sliced (or boiled)
• 5-6 small potatoes, boiled in their skin and cut into bite-sized pieces (I used purple potatoes, but new potatoes would be very good for this salad)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 Tbsp. fresh herbs, finely chopped (cilantro, parsley)
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Drain the soaked beans and place in a clean pot with fresh water to cover. Bring slowly to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 20 - 25 minutes, depending on age of beans. Drain and while still warm, combine in a large bowl with the onion, oil, vinegar, beets, garlic, fresh herbs and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.