4 Bean Salad

Classic 4 Bean Salad

Ingredients

1/2 Red Onion, chopped fine and then placed in cold water to soak for at least 10 minutes (this takes the sharp edge off  the taste)

1 Can Cannelini Beans

1 Can Kidney Beans

1 Can Garbanzo Beans

1 Can Cut Green Beans

1 TBSP of Mixed Italian Spice (suggested Penzey's Italian Mix) and/or 

1 Cup loosely packed fresh Parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1/3 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

2-3 TBSP of Granulated Sugar

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1+1/2  teaspoon of Course or Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground Black Pepper

1. Chop red onion and set aside in cold water if you haven't already.

2. Rinse and Drain all beans.

3. Put all the beans together into a large bowl.

4. Drain the chopped red onion and add this to the bowl of beans. 

5. Add the Spice mix, Parsley, and Rosemary to the bowl of beans and gently mix.

6. In a seperate medium bowl add Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper and whisk until all is mixed in and evenly distributed.

7. Add the Vinegar/Oil mix to the large bowl of beans and mix until coated.

8. Put in the refrigerator to soak for a couple of hours.

Vegan Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup or Vegan Avgolemono - cooked in an Instapot

This soup is one of my Daughter's favorites and it just made a nice offering at a pot luck. There's no dairy, no meat, and can even be made gluten free if you are careful with your ingredients. What is this magical mystical wonder food? I'm talking about Vegan Lemon Orzo Soup or as the Greek say, Avgolemono. You can make this in a regular stock pot, but I like to cook it in the Instant Pot because I can keep it warm for a long time as if it were in a slow cooker. There is no pressure used on the Instapot, but I use the saute and warm settings. Your slow cooker might have these settings, too. Otherwise, just make this in a pot on the stove, it will cook beautifully either way. 

I originally found this recipe on simple-veganista.com. Of course I have a couple of tweaks, but it's pretty much theirs - credit where credit is due. This is a perfect recipe if you have a lot of lemons.

Here is the Recipe for Lemon Orzo Soup

Ingredients

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 a Large Onion or 1 Small Onion, Diced

3 Carrots, peeled and diced

3-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

8 Cups of Vegetable Broth

1 Cup of Orzo (or Gluten Free Orzo or Rice)

2 Cans of Chickpeas, drained and rinced

1/3 Cup of Tahini

The Juice of 3-4 Fresh Lemons (about 1/2 cup or more)

A Large Handful of Baby Spinach or Kale

1-2 TBSP of Fresh Chopped Dill

1-2 tsp of Large Crystal Salt 

About 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

Preparation

Heat oil over medium heat on the saute setting in the Instapot. 

While the Instapot is heating, prepare the broth if needed. I use the Knorr Vegetarian bullion, so I always mix it up first. I don't worry if the broth is not perfectly mixed or heated, I just want it to have some pre-mixing. 

Once it the Instapot is hot, add the onion and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.

Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil.

Add the orzo and chickpeas, reduce heat to low and cook at a gentle boil for 7-9 minutes or when the orzo is tender. (If you are using rice, add about 10 minutes to let the rice soften.)

Turn off heat, add tahini and fresh squeezed lemon juice, stir well. 

Add the baby spinach or kale and stir in.

Stir in the dill.

Season with salt and pepper.