Bean Salad with Celery and Cilantro

Bean salads are great in bagged lunches. They are a good source of protein and they travel well. This week we've been eating this refreshing salad made with celery and cilantro.

I sometimes make it using chickpeas or kidney beans or tongue of fire beans or pinquitos. This time I used Trail of Tears because I had them in the cupboard and I thought the color contrast would be pretty.

The soft beans play against the crunch of the celery and red onion. I like the cilantro, but sometimes I use chopped gherkins instead.

The key is to toss the beans with the dressing while they are still warm. They then absorb some of the dressing as they cool down and become really flavorful.

Bean Salad with Celery and Cilantro
1 cup dried Trail of Tears beans
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3-4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped red onion (or more to taste)
3 tbsp olive oil

Pick over the beans, discarding any that you don't like the look of. Rinse them, then put in a pot with water to cover by 2-4 inches, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently until tender. This will take 1-3 hours depending on the age and type of bean.

(Alternatively use 2 14-oz cans of beans. Drain and rinse them then continue. But they won't taste quite as good.)

Drain the cooked beans and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the vinegars and some salt and pepper. Toss gently and let the beans sit at room temperature until they are cool enough to eat.

Stir in the celery, cilantro, red onion and olive oil. Toss well. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4-6