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Red Kidney Bean Salad & Harissa Dressing

Red Kidney Bean Salad & Harissa Dressing

Try this attractive and simple bean salad if you want to make an easy and earthy but spicy dinner. The secret of the dressing is harissa, a staple chili and garlic condiment in Tunisia that I've posted a recipe for here. Black-eyed peas can be used just as easily here instead of kidney beans for a more buttery taste and a more variegated appearance.

The beans here can be cooked well ahead of time and refrigerated before putting together the salad, but they work very well in a warm salad too, letting them cool down just a little at room temperature right after cooking before adding the other ingredients.

Red kidney bean salad & harissa dressingRed Kidney Bean Salad & Harissa Dressing
Recipe by
Cuisine: North African
Published on August 23, 2007

Simple, robust and nourishing salad of earthy red kidney beans and sweet fresh peppers tossed with a zesty harissa dressing

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Salad:
  • 1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans or black-eyed peas (4 1/2 cups cooked or 3 14 oz cans)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into narrow strips
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into narrow strips
Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons harissa
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions:
  • Rinse the beans or black-eyed peas and soak for 8 hours or overnight covered in several inches of water with a little bit of yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender but still firm, about 1 hour for red kidney beans and 20 to 30 minutes for black-eyed peas. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool.

  • In another bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the chopped onion and diced jalapeño to the beans and pour the dressing over top. Mix well.

  • Serve at room temperature or cold garnished with the strips of red and green bell pepper and with a salt mill on the table to grind over the servings.

Makes 6 dinner servings or 10 to 12 side servings
Red Kidney Bean Salad & Harissa Dressing

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