We've been able to take a few great American trips this summer, and today's recipe is inspired by one of our most memorable stops – Nepenthe in Big Sur, California. Nepenthe is a famed casual restaurant with incredible views of the California coast line. Nearly every person we met who had been to Big Sur before could not stop raving about Nepenthe's views – though interestingly the food wasn't as frequently mentioned!
When we made our way to Nepenthe after a day of driving and hiking, to say we were famished would be an understatement. We were dehydrated, sand-covered from head-to-toe (from the lovely Julia Pfeiffer State Beach), and a little sun-worn in addition to being plain hungry. After waiting for approx. 30 – 45 minutes, we were seated with a perfect, unspoiled view of the coast – and the view was so beautiful that we almost forgot about how hungry and dirty we were.
Despite our newfound calm about actually eating, our food came out fairly. And while our sandwiches were good, what really blew us away was the bean salad side to one of our meals. The side - comprised of chickpeas and kidney beans – had a distinct flavor from oregano, some sort of vinegar, and minced scallions. I couldn't tell if it was the hunger talking, but we really were fighting over every last bite of this salad.
I set out to recreate this recipe basically the day after we returned to New York. With cold, dairy-free salads seeming like the perfect summer get-together accompaniment, I felt that if I could get this recipe right, I would be set for decades of summer parties.
Thankfully, spurring me on my way were both blogs pointing to the My Nepenthe cookbook and a Simply Recipes three-bean salad that incorporated some elements that I thought would be great additions, like fresh parsley.
I have now made this bean salad 3 – 4 times, and I currently have some chickpeas and red kidney beans soaking to make the salad again tonight! I've found that in addition to summer parties, this is a great, protein-packed snack for the work week as well. I hope this recipe becomes a staple in your home as well!
Modified Nepenthe Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1.5 cloves garlic, minced
- Approx. 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas, washed and drained
- Approx. 1.5 cups of cooked red kidney beans, washed and drained
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Mix fresh herbs, garlic and beans in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together the dressing of olive oil, vinegar, oregano, sugar, sea salt and black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the beans mixture and toss to combine.
- Let sit for approx. 30 minutes for flavors to blend, and store any leftovers in the fridge.
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