Spelt-Butterbean Salad

I came up with this as an accompaniment to Spicy Ginger Miso Chicken Thighs. Whole grains go with almost anything, and I had some ginger left over from the chicken recipe. Then I threw in a bunch of veggies I had in the fridge that I needed to use up; the result was quite tasty! It’s quite hearty, too, and would make a good vegetarian meal-in-a-bowl. If you don’t have spelt, you can substitute kamut or farro. You might have to cook the grains separately from the beans if the cooking times vary widely. You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

½ cup Spelt berries

½ cup dried butterbeans

½ head of broccoli

1″ – 2″ fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic

1 small sweet onion

1 bell pepper

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

1.) The night before, pick through the beans to remove any debris. Rinse beans and spelt. Place in a medium pot and cover with at least an inch or two of water. Let sit overnight. Next time I’ll use the next size up pot – this was a tad too small by morning because the beans do swell quite a lot.

2.) About 45 minutes before dinner, bring the pot to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, and cook for 40 – 50 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t boil over, and add more hot water as needed.

3.) While spelt & beans cook, chop the broccoli, onion, and pepper. Keep the broccoli separate. You’ll use the whole bell pepper. You’re looking for a cup of broccoli florets, and about ¾ cup of the chopped sweet onions. Mince the ginger, for about 2 Tbsp, and the garlic.

4.) Make the dressing by whisking the oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl, then stirring in the ginger and garlic. Mix well.

5.) Toward end of spelt/bean cooking time, add the broccoli to the cooking pot, adding hot water as necessary to cover. Cook a scant 2 minutes, or until broccoli is just fork-tender. Drain. See what I mean? The pot is way too small!

6.) Add spelt, beans, & broccoli to the dressing bowl. Stir gently. Stir in the onions and pepper. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve later.

Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main course.

Updated 4/15/17

Spelt-Butterbean Salad

Servings: 6
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Ingredients

½ cup Spelt berries
½ cup dried butterbeans
½ head of broccoli
1″ – 2″ fresh ginger
1 large clove garlic
1 small sweet onion
1 bell pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1.) The night before, pick through the beans to remove any debris. Rinse beans and spelt. Place in a medium pot and cover with at least an inch or two of water. Let sit overnight.
2.) About 45 minutes before dinner, bring the pot to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, and cook for 40 – 50 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t boil over, and add more hot water as needed.
3.) While spelt & beans cook, chop the broccoli, onion, and pepper. Keep the broccoli separate. You’ll use the whole bell pepper. You’re looking for a cup of broccoli florets, and about ¾ cup of the chopped sweet onions. Mince the ginger, for about 2 Tbsp, and the garlic.
4.) Make the dressing by whisking the oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl, then stirring in the ginger and garlic. Mix well.
5.) Toward end of spelt/bean cooking time, add the broccoli to the cooking pot, adding hot water as necessary to cover. Cook a scant 2 minutes, or until broccoli is just fork-tender. Drain.
6.) Add spelt, beans, & broccoli to the dressing bowl. Stir gently. Stir in the onions and pepper. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve later.