Summertime Vegetable Salad with Pinto Beans - My Mother's Way

This chopped fresh vegetable salad with a scoop of delicious cooked loobia chiti (pinto beans) and a generous amount of lemon juice and olive oil dressing was my favorite summer lunch growing up in my home in the south of Iran. My mother's way of preparing salad was to chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, so we didn't need to use a knife to cut the lettuce and tomato wedges. Usually, when you think of Iranian vegetable salads, the well-known salad shirazi comes to mind, where Persian cucumbers, firm tomatoes, and yellow or red onions are chopped into tiny pieces and served with oil, lemon juice/verjuice, and dried mint dressing. However, this simple mix of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers is the other popular salad that is often served with most meals. You can just make a basic fresh salad or add (har chi doost darid) anything your heart desires, depending on the seasonal availability. Summer is the time for salad to shine as the main course by turning an ordinary salad into an extraordinary, delicious meal.

With six kids out of school for the summer and my father's preference for freshly cooked meals, making hearty salads was my mother's way of staying away from standing over a hot stove during those really hot summers. For many years, we lived in an old-style house where the kitchen was located across the hayat (courtyard) away and separate from the dining area, living room, and the rest of the house. The kitchen was small with a few cabinets/shelves filled with pots and pans, and with only one window and no air conditioning. It was in that dreary matbakh (kitchen) that anything Maman made tasted wonderfully delicious. Her pinto beans were exceptionally tasty. Her secret was using good olive oil and freshly squeezed lime juice, and she would always serve the pinto beans in a large, clear glass fish-shaped platter. It was in that dark and remote kitchen in a small town in Khuzestan where the root of my inspiration and passion for my Turmeric and Saffron blog was formed.

I love to make سالاد تابستانی با لوبیا salad-e tabestani with beans and as many fresh and colorful vegetables as possible, and serve it in my eat-in kitchen, that's not just a place to cook food but rather the center of our home where we come together, talk, make decisions, eat food, greet friends, or just hang out.

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

1 medium-sized head of iceberg lettuce or romaine, chopped
A handful of baby lettuces, chopped
3 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into pieces (I used a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved)
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 medium-sized carrots, shredded
2-3 radishes, sliced
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
A small bunch of parsley, chopped

Method:

1. In a large salad bowl, toss all washed and chopped ingredients and gently mix well by hand. 
2. Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing.
3. You may sprinkle the salad with crumbled feta cheese.

***

Loobia Chiti (Pinto Beans)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with five cups of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. 

***

Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 freshly squeezed lime juices

1 teaspoon dried mint, or a combination of dried mint and dried dill
1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well using a whisk or a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Enjoy!

Salade Khorfeh - Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

Wouldn't it be nice to walk into your local farmers' market and find bunches of fresh khorfeh (purslane) bundled up and stacked neatly next to the basil and mint on the shelf? I am hopeful that one-day purslane will no longer be considered as just an annoying garden weed that's neglected.  Perhaps if instead of sprouting in every corner purslane was sowed and watered in vegetable gardens then it might have been appreciated more for its nutritional values, beauty and taste. But until then I am grateful that purslane grows everywhere and I can easily spot them on the lawn, in flower beds and next to the garden rocks. I appreciate purslane's generous and humble nature. This year, I have removed some of the purslanes and transplanted them into flower pots to use for cooking. These beautiful and succulent herbs have a distinct sweet and sour taste and are a perfect addition to a cucumber and tomato summer salad.

For this recipe I used small, young leaves of purslane that will go well with tiny pieces of Persian cucumber, firm tomatoes and onion known as salad shirazi.  The combination of these three main ingredients with the lemon juice and olive oil salad dressing is simply a perfect side to many delicious Iranian dishes. If the leaves are broad you may want to chop them into smaller pieces to blend well or just use the tender small leaves. سالاد خرفه Salade khorfeh goes well with khoresh bademjan. A spoonful of aromatic basmati saffron rice mixed with the velvety texture of eggplant sauce and topped with this tasty and crunchy salad is truly amazing!

Last summer, I posted a recipe for mast-o-khorfeh (yogurt with purslane). Tokhm-e khorfeh (purslane seeds) are used as a topping for naan berenji.

Salade Khorfeh - Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

2 cup purslane leaves
5 Persian cucumbers or any small and seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 firm plum tomatoes or any small ripe tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, (red or yellow), cut into small pieces, I used red onion.
1 teaspoon dried mint 
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine purslane, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and dried mint.
2. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Serve this beautiful and delicious salad cold or at room temperature with your favorite dish.

Enjoy!

Zeytoon Parvardeh-Persian Olive, Pomegranate and Walnut Salad

This is a tasty side dish made with green olives, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts combined and marinated with pomegranate molasses, fresh herbs, and garlic. زیتون پرورده Zeytoon Parvardeh is a well-liked appetizer from the northwestern region of Gilan province. The authentic zeytoon parvardeh is prepared with aromatic fresh herbs from the area. However, I've learned that I can substitute fresh or dried mint instead. I love the way these ingredients come together so wonderfully in one dish, with their different flavors and textures, making this a unique and quite delectable appetizer. I've been wanting to write about zeytoon parvardeh for the past several months, ever since I got the recipe from a very dear Rashti friend of mine, Monir Khanoum. However, since pomegranates weren't in season at the time, I've waited until now, since pomegranate season is in full bloom!

I had posted my first Gilani recipe for Mirza Ghasemi a while ago, and I am so glad to write another recipe from that beautiful region. Many of my childhood summer vacations were spent by the northern Caspian Sea, escaping the southern heat and enjoying the cooler northern weather with its beautiful beaches and scenery.

Zeytoon Parvardeh

Ingredients

 Serves 4-6

-1 pound firm green olives, pitted
-1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
-1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
-5-7 garlic cloves, minced
-3-4 tablespoons olive oil
-A handful of fresh mint, chopped or 1-2 tablespoons, dried
-Salt and pepper
-3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds *optional

Method:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine olives, minced garlic, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pour in the syrup and the olive oil. Add fresh mint and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Transfer to a serving platter and serve it at room temperature or cold.

Enjoy!

Salad Olivieh

There have been many culinary contributions from other cultures that were warmly embraced when they made their way into Iranian cuisine, such as macaroni, salad olivieh, and, in more recent years, pizza. As I understand it, salad olivieh was first introduced to Iranian cooking sometime between the late 1960s and the early 1970s, and it quickly became one of the most popular dishes. It's said that "Salad Olivier" was originally created by a French chef, M. Olivier, who owned a restaurant in Moscow in the 19th century, and this was his signature recipe. If you are interested, you can read more about it here. 

The first time I had salad olivieh was at my sister's wedding reception many years ago, where it was prepared by a caterer.

سالاد الیویه Salad Olivieh is now a popular picnic or party dish in Iran. There are many different versions of this salad, but essentially a combination of chicken, potato, and egg salad all in one!
I like to add a little lemon juice, along with traditional pickles, for a brighter, tangier flavor.

You can either chop the chicken, potatoes, eggs, and pickles for a chunkier texture, or shred the chicken and grate the potatoes, eggs, and pickles for a smoother, creamier olivieh.  

Salad Olivieh

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-5 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
-3 large eggs boiled, peeled, and chopped
-1 cup frozen peas, cook according to package directions
-3 pickled cucumbers (khiar shoor), chopped
-1 cup olives (green or black)
-1 cup mayonnaise
-1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method:

1. Place potatoes in a pot, and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender. Drain, let cool, then peel and dice.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
3. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, eggs, peas, and chopped pickles. Add the mayonnaise dressing and mix well to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
4. Spread salad olivieh in a serving dish and garnish with olives, pickles, and peas. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!