Warm Escarole-and-Shiitake Salad with Crispy Beans

This substantial vegetarian salad from F&W’s Kay Chun is full of greens, lentils and meaty mushrooms. The crunch comes, brilliantly, from oven-roasted canned kidney beans. Slideshow: More Salad Recipes 

Total Time:
1 hrs
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • One 15-ounce can kidney beans

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt

  • Pepper

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot

  • 1 head of escarole (12 ounces), leaves coarsely chopped

  • 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved

  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup cooked black or green lentils

  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a baking sheet, toss the beans with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring, until dry and crispy. Transfer the sheet to a rack and let the beans cool completely.

  2. In a bowl, whisk the mustard, lemon juice and shallot. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in 6 tablespoons of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Set the escarole on top; don’t mix.

  3. In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the shiitakes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden and charred in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Add the hot mushrooms, celery, lentils and the chopped chives to the escarole and toss. Mound the salad on plates, top with the crispy beans and serve.

Make Ahead

The crispy beans can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.

Suggested Pairing

Wine: Light, mineral-laced Alsace white.

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