Black Bean Salad with Tomatillos
There’s a lot to love about this recipe. The black beans don’t require soaking overnight and you can prep and assemble all the other ingredients while they cook (and still have time clean up the kitchen).
Raw tomatillo is a revelation (sample each one separately and notice how the flavors change from fruit to fruit, bringing tartness and the occasional green apple sweetness).
If I planted cumin (next year!), I’d add those seeds along with the coriander to add a bit of smokiness to the flavor. Still, it’s bright and light, perfect for warm summer days.
1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the beans
1 cup dried black beans
1 Tbsp green or dried coriander seeds, stems removed
½ tsp salt
For the salad
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
4-5 tomatillos, husks removed and thinly sliced into half-moons
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced (keep seeds if you like it spicy)
1 cup cherry and plum tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup chives, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp for sautéing
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
2 cups zucchini, diced into cubes
marigold petals for garnish
In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil. Add the dried black beans and coriander seeds and cook on a low boil until soft, about 50 minutes. Add the salt towards the end, when you have 10 minutes left. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
While the beans cook, prepare and assemble the vegetables. Add the red onion, tomatillos, jalapeños, tomatoes, chives, 3 Tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is distributed evenly.
In a large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the zucchini so they form a single layer and sauté for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove once the zucchini starts to brown on most sides.
Add the zucchini, black beans, and marigold petals (from about 1/3 of the flower head) to the mixing bowl and stir. Adjust the flavor with salt and/or red wine vinegar if needed.
Recipe notes:
Tip: when slicing the tomatillos, cut the tops off (the part with the stems) and then place that flat side face-down on the cutting board. This makes the tomatillo more stable when slicing.
There is a lot of moisture in these fresh vegetables and you’ll notice liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl. On one hand, it makes for a great marinade for the beans, but it also means the salad doesn’t really keep for more than a day. Sautéing the zucchini helps remove some of the moisture. You can also pre-salt the tomatillos: in a small bowl, add a couple pinches of salt to tomatillos, mix to incorporate, and then let it drain in colander for 15 minutes. The salt helps draw out some of the excess liquid. But feel free to ignore this extra step. It’s totally optional!
I first tried this recipe with raw zucchini but noticed it made my stomach feel a bit bloated and gurgle-y. Since we’re using larger zucchini at this point in the season, it’s better to cook them first to make them more digestible.