It's Easy Being Green: Edamame-Bean Summer Salad

I admit it - I'm a bit obsessed right now with sunflower sprouts.  I mean, they're just so good!  Rather than just eat them out of the bag by the handful, I decided to put all of my green market buys into one fab dish.  This salad is so yummy that I wanted to eat the whole bowl but restrained myself to stretch out the joy for a least one more day.  And incidentally I discovered my new obsession - fresh edamame beans.

Edamame and Green Bean Salad
serves four

I know, I know....things like fresh edamame beans and sunflower sprouts are not your standard supermarket fare.  I've suggested some substitutions you might try.  Whatever you use, make sure it's fresh - and preferably local.  This is not about food snobbism but the pure pleasure of eating really really fresh things that just came out of the earth.  I promise that you will feel like you've been given a giant vitamin.


1 pint fresh edamame beans (approx one c shelled; use frozen edamame if fresh are not available)
2 c mixed beans (green, yellow, purple - so pretty! or just good ole green beans will do too), trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp plus ¼ c olive oil (make sure the ¼ c is your very best stuff)
1 lg shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 anchovies, either packed in salt and rinsed, or oil-packed, cut into thirds
¼ c chicken stock or water
2 c fresh sunflower sprouts (use lettuce if sunflower sprouts are not available)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Splash Champagne vinegar (use white wine vinegar as a sub)
½ tsp French grey sea salt (or any fine grained salt)
Pinch sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

1.  Rinse edamame thoroughly to remove any sand.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the beans.  Boil for approximately 7-8 minutes, or until the beans are cooked but still with a firm bite.  Drain the beans, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot and garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant.  Add the beans and anchovies and continue cooking, stirring constantly.  After a few minutes, add the stock or water and cook until the beans are tender-crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the ¼ c olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper and whisk until thoroughly blended.

4.  Put the sunflower sprouts in an attractive serving dish.  Top with the green beans, and then the edamame.  Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently and serve.

I got the fresh edamame beans from O.K. Farms, which has a stand every week at the Liberty Village "My Market". It's the first year they've grown the soybeans and they're absolutely fantastic.