Funke Koleosho's Nigerian Brown Bean Salad |
In a variety of western recipes, legumes are often added to salads and generally preferred because of their "fuller for longer" properties. Brown beans are nutritious and are a source of slow release energy. Beans are also very rich in protein and dietary fibre.
This recipe is not at all unusual as beans are quite an ideal salad ingredient. I have not come across the use of brown beans in a salad recipe and this aroused my curiosity for the taste, flavour and texture of such.
My very first attempt at creating a salad dish using brown beans, was a success! I have used some of my favourite salad leaves with subtle and crisp tastes that would not over power the tastes of the beans. I also created a mixed sweet pepper dressing with a hint of chilli, which I served the salad with. I encourage you to adjust this recipe as you please, to get your most preferred salad taste! Try it!
Ingredients:
- Mixed salad leaves
- A handful of finely diced red peppers
- A handful of finely diced green peppers
- A handful of sweetcorn
- 1 tablespoon of chopped onions
- A pinch of chilli powder or Suya pepper mix (optional)
- Salt & pepper
- Two tablespoons of coconut oil
- Two handfuls of pre-boiled Nigerian brown beans. (Boil the beans in a pressure cooker until just soft.)
What to do (Serves 1-2 people):
- The first thing is to cook the beans in a pressure cooker until beans are just soft. This should take about 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. When cooked, remove from heat and allow beans to cool to room temperature.
- In a sauce pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions, red and green peppers for no more than 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Also add the suya pepper if using. Remove from heat and allow to cool (so as not to wilt the salad leaves)
- In a large salad bowl, add the salad leaves, beans and sautéed peppers and sweetcorn. Toss and serve.
Brown Bean Salad |