Bean and Legume

Here’s a great example of what I call culinary architecture, which entails building on a great foundation. In this case, I’m playing off what Middle Easterners call tabouli, a wonderful salad with a fantastic fresh taste that’s incredibly easy to make (and impossible to mess up). The base of any tabouli is a grain, lemon juice, parsley, and mint. That’s our building block. Then we add the ornamentation, which always emphasizes both form and function. The beans create a complete protein, the pleasing crunch (and a whole bunch of antioxidants) comes from pepper, while olives add a little healthy salt. Like any powerful piece of architecture, it’s the combination of simplicity and tasteful elegance that makes this salad so enjoyable and memorable.

Some soy lovers might be surprised that their beloved bean goes by another name—edamame—which is the fresh, green, undried form, with all of its nutrients intact. Here, I’ve taken the edamame out of their furry little pods, and mixed them in with radishes, which have a fresh flavor and just a tad of heat. My friend calls radishes the sorbet of the vegetable set because of the way they brighten the palate and leave it feeling clean and happy.

Green bean recipes are a little like socks; everybody has a few. I came across a website that boasted 471 green bean recipes. By the time I linked to it a second later, they were up to 472, so clearly it’s a popular vegetable. This dish is dairy-free and delicious. Instead of a common cheese topping, I use finely ground Brazil nuts, which you’ll swear taste like Parmesan cheese. Why Brazil nuts? Because they’re an amazing source of selenium, a mineral that some scientists believe lessens chemo’s toxic effects on healthy cells.

A staple of Latin cuisine, this black bean soup rocks because it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Black beans are rich in protein and dietary fiber, and recent studies link black bean consumption to reduced rates of pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers. Cooking the beans with kombu, an easy to find dried Japanese seaweed that breaks down the bean’s sugars, eases gas and bloating while softening the bean’s exterior. As for taste, I guarantee your taste buds will say “more, please!”

I was working at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing when the only living woman Indian saint stopped in. Her entourage laid down some pretty strict rules: No talking to the saint. No approaching the saint. And whatever you do, don’t touch the saint. But after eating her bowl of dahl, this little imp of a holy woman motioned me over and then … proceeded to kiss me on the forehead! The Chopra folks (and I guess the saint as well) like their dahl chunky, and I love it that way too, but it’s just as enjoyable blended and smooth. Blend the dahl a bit if you want something a little easier to swallow or digest. Small amounts of this dahl are wonderful for someone who isn’t particularly hungry, as the cumin is an appetite stimulant.

The Italians are beautiful because they’ve turned what is essentially peasant fare into an internationally renowned cuisine. Take pappa al pomodoro. Fancy, huh? Can you say, “Day-old knot of stale bread in tomatoes and water?” A staple there, a delicacy here. The same goes for minestrone, which I’ve always claimed is Italian for “Whatever is in the pantry goes in the pot!” Actually, minestrone comes from the array of dishes known as cucina povera or “poor kitchen.” It’s a bit of a misnomer, though, as minestrone is rich in vital nutrients, most notably lycopene, a phytochemical in tomatoes that has anticancer properties, especially with prostate cancer.

When it comes to cooking, Italians believe in region first, country second. That’s why this recipe is my version of culinary heresy. By taking white beans—a notoriously Tuscan legume—and mixing them with saffron, which is more common to northern Italy’s Lombardi region, I’ve committed what might be considered a food felony. My defense for breaking with tradition is justified in this case: saffron is a powerful cancer-fighting spice. It’s best to soak the beans overnight before cooking them, so plan ahead.

Try serving this offbeat pan bread, studded with pink beans and scallions, with hearty vegetable soups and stews. I especially like this with soups that feature corn and/or squash.

With the help of a food processor, this tasty, no-cook soup will be ready to eat in minutes. Serve with stone-ground tortilla chips or warmed flour tortillas.

This refreshing cold soup is one that I often serve to summer company.

This garden-fresh medley is a good choice when you want a summery soup that is slightly warm rather than chilled.

This brightly colored soup makes a delightful introduction to a summer dinner, or it can be the centerpiece of a light meal accompanied by salad-filled wraps.

This is a good transitional soup for spring; it’s hearty like winter soups, but boasts the fresh flavors of zucchini, parsley, and dill. Taste often to adjust the myriad of flavors to your liking. Consider making any of the muffins on pages 149 to 151 to serve with the soup.

Just the thing to serve on a chilly early spring day. Green Chili Cornbread (page 145) or fresh store-bought cornbread would both team well with these flavors.

Crisp green snow peas lend this soup a pleasant visual and textural twist.

A one-dish meal, spiced with chili peppers and served over noodles.

This hearty curry becomes the centerpiece of a satisfying meal served over hot cooked grains, and accompanied by Chapatis (page 158) and a simple, palate-cooling salad of cucumbers and tomatoes.

This classic stew, menestra de verduras, has many regional variations, and can be made with different vegetables according to season. Constant ingredients include potatoes, carrots, and green peas; artichokes are the most characteristic. Fresh artichokes are called for in traditional recipes, but using the canned variety simplifies the process.

Arborio rice, the same rice used in risotto, makes a comforting base for a spring soup, perfect for drizzly spring evenings.

This dairy-free “cream” soup, enhanced with any of the garnishes recommended, makes a hearty (but not heavy) introduction for a spring meal.