Today I thought I would share an everyday recipe that I make quite often, great for satisfying a vegetable craving, and nourishing but summery at the same time. One of my favorite treatments for vegetables, besides the go-to roasting/steaming/sautéing, is marinating, which is especially good for summer, since marinated vegetables are at their best when cold.
Marinated beans are another staple in our house. I try to make a pot of beans most weekends, and let them develop in a marinade of lemon juice, oil, garlic and herbs over the week. It’s a great thing to have in the refrigerator for spooning into salads and bowls throughout the workweek – an easy way to make a quick, nourishing meal. Right now, I’m obsessed with Rancho Gordo’s heirloom Scarlet Runner Beans, which are perfectly plump, meaty and creamy all at the same time, but use any favorite beans in this recipe.
In this dish, a rainbow of crisp, blanched and sautéed summer vegetables and velvety beans is marinated in a simple, garlicky and mildly spicy dressing. Use whichever vegetables you have on hand here – omitting a few is fine – but I recommend keeping the cauliflower as a constant, whether purple or regular in color, as it tastes amazing here.
Have you tried freekeh yet? It’s fairly new to me, and very much worth seeking out if you’re looking for variety in your grain selection for salads and bowls. Freekeh is made of an ancient wheat variety, which is harvested when young and roasted over an open fire, which burns off all of the grain’s outer shell, while the inner young grain stays intact. This intricate process yields a pleasant, slightly smoky flavor. These veggies and beans taste delicious over freekeh, but any grain of choice can of course be used in place of it.
Lastly, this year’s Saveur blog awards are upon us, and being nominated has proven to be an important milestone for any food blog, a kind door opener if you will. If you enjoy our recipes and photos, we would be absolutely thrilled if you could take a minute out of your day and nominate us for the food obsessive award category, which is basically a special diet category, (or any other category that you see fit). It would truly mean the world. Thank you for your support, and as always, we wouldn’t be here without your readership.
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- juice of 1 lemon - freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon sriracha/chili sauce of choice or more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 1 small cauliflower head - cut into florets
- 1 yellow summer squash or zucchini - sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil
- 1 small broccoli head - cut into florets
- handful green beans - strings removed if present
- sea salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 2-3 large kale leaves - stems removed and sliced (optional)
- 1 large carrot - shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup cooked beans
- large handful fresh dill - minced
- large handful parsley - minced
- 1 cup freekeh or other grain of choice - cooked (optional)
- Toast cumin seeds in a small pan until fragrant, for about 1 minute, then grind in a mortar and pestle. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until blended well. Set aside.
- Bring well salted water to a boil in a medium soup pot. Prepare an ice or cold water bath for blanched vegetables. Add cauliflower to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and blanch together with the cauliflower for another minute. Drain and transfer into the cold water bath.
- Warm coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add broccoli and green beans, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and saute for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Add kale and stir around until wilted.
- Add cauliflower, zucchini and carrots, toss to combine. Remove from heat, add beans and herbs. Pour marinade over and toss to coat. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust if needed.
- Serve immediately over freekeh/other grain of choice or transfer to a glass container and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to eat. The flavors will develop further with time.
Sarah | Well and Full says
I love a good, simple vegetable dish where the veggies are kind of left alone to be the star, you know? This recipe is a perfect example of that. And I love that you used freekeh, too – it’s one of my favorite grains! I bet it pairs amazingly well with the fresh vegetables :)
Anya says
Hi Sarah,
So true, sometimes a plate of vegetables is all you need.
I’m so happy to have finally tried freekeh – want to add it to everything now :)
Elie says
Hi there!
This looks so tasty :) My only question is, do you ever just marinate the beans by themselves? That sounds really tasty, but I thought I’d get your 2 cents before I made any!
Anya says
Hi Elie,
Yes, I often marinate beans only in this marinade. I also do beans in lemon juice, garlic, herbs and olive oil for a simpler version.
Anya