Fine Cooking Magazine - November/December 2020

Servings: 4 to 6

This salad with bold Asian flavors is perfect with black beans but works with other hearty beans, such as kidney, red, or even pinto beans. Serve with shrimp, pork chops, or skirt or hanger steak.

Ingredients

For the beans

8 oz. dried black beans (about 1 cup), sorted and rinsed
1 small onion (about 4 oz.), peeled and halved
3 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt

For the dressing

1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. sesame oil; more for serving

For the salad

1 English cucumber (about 15 oz.), cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices, slices quartered (about 23/4 cups)
Kosher salt
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
2 cups cooked, cooled long-grain white rice (about 9 oz.)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. chili garlic sauce; more to taste
1/2 cup Fried Shallots
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Calories (kcal) : 370
Fat Calories (kcal): 120
Fat (g): 13
Saturated Fat (g): 2
Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 5
Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5
Cholesterol (mg): 0
Sodium (mg): 560
Carbohydrates (g): 51
Fiber (g): 10
Sugar (g): 8
Protein (g): 12

Preparation

Make the beans

Put the black beans in a medium pot, and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Cover the pot, and soak the beans for 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Uncover and add the onion and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim any foam from the surface, then reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and creamy but still retain their shape, about 70 minutes. Remove from the heat, and discard the onion and garlic. Season the beans with 1 Tbs. salt. Let the beans cool to room temperature in their liquid.

Make the dressing

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil.

Make and serve the salad

In a colander set over a large bowl, toss the cucumber with 1 tsp. salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Discard any liquid. Transfer the cucumber to a small bowl and add the carrot.
Drain the beans. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and stir in the rice. Spoon 1/4 cup of the dressing over the rice and beans, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the rice and beans to a serving platter.
Stir the chili sauce into the remaining dressing, and pour over the cucumber and carrot. Toss to combine. Spoon the vegetables over the rice and beans. Top with the shallots, peanuts, and cilantro, if using

(3 ratings) Read Reviews

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Reviews (3 reviews)

FredWhite10 | 06/24/2020
Yum!!
Mall0mar | 06/18/2020
5 stars ! Fried shallots was not in our wheelhouse, but, what a game changer! I would say bring them to the table separately and let people add their own once the salad is served, otherwise it will be mush. We used canned beans, no problem.And, we served this with Korean-Style Spicy steak Lettuce Wraps, (FC#133), sans lettuce. Take home... a great summer salad, and the shallots make it spectacular!!
DawneP | 06/10/2020
This was yummy and pretty easy to make. We skipped the shallots because we didn't have any, and didn't want to go to the store. I added too much salt to the rice, so it came out kind of salty, but still good.

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What We're Cooking Now

Name: Spicy Cucumber and Black Bean Salad
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 8 oz. dried black beans (about 1 cup), sorted and rinsed; 1 small onion (about 4 oz.), peeled and halved; 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled; Kosher salt; 1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar; 2 Tbs. granulated sugar; 2 Tbs. sesame oil; more for serving; 1 English cucumber (about 15 oz.), cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices, slices quartered (about 23/4 cups); Kosher salt; 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small dice (about 1 cup); 2 cups cooked, cooled long-grain white rice (about 9 oz.); Freshly ground black pepper; 1 Tbs. chili garlic sauce; more to taste; 1/2 cup Fried Shallots; 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped; Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)