Triple pickle three bean salad

The final Sexy Lentils installment!

Hi, friends. So, tell me: do we think lentils are sexy yet? I hope I’ve convinced you to use up that bag in the back of your pantry, and perhaps if my two French bistro-inspired recipes — the super-fresh and crisp Bistro Crunch Salad and the cozy, luxe one-pan crispy chicken thighs with Dijon lentils — didn’t do the trick, today’s will.

I wanted this recipe to go in a completely different direction. Something brighter. Briny. Something that can and should sit in the fridge, calling your name and inviting you to take a bite every time you pass through the kitchen. But still hearty, nutrient-packed (fiber!!), and — mais oui — absolutely delicious.

Enter: the Triple Pickle Three Bean Salad.

Tell me more

A mélange of lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans tossed with quick-pickled sumac red onions, dill pickles, and pickled pepperoncinis, along with a delightfully spicy and herby dressing.

It’s dense but light, punchy, and wildly satisfying. Perfect as a side dish, a prepped lunch, a snack to take on a picnic or just on the go — the possibilities are endless.

Before we start

• There’s definitely a hefty dose of nostalgia here. I can’t be the only one whose mom would whip up a three-bean salad to keep in the fridge? Mine would always use chickpeas, kidney beans, and canned green beans, but I was never a huge fan of that last one. That’s why I use lentils instead. And — sorry mom — I have to say my spicy, herby dressing really takes it up a notch! And the pickles!

• Give the salad at least 20–30 minutes before serving so the beans soak up the dressing. And, actually, it’s even better the next day — this is definitely a make once, eat all week situation.

• I actually cheated a little and used all canned beans here, including lentils. What can I say! I used up all my dried lentils trying to dream up recipes for you all. You can do canned or dried — whatever you’ve got and prefer.

• The dressing has quite a kick from the jalapeño — feel free to reduce or omit depending on how much heat you like. Deseeding the pepper will also reduce the heat, and I like to do a taste test before I add any in because some peppers really do be spicier than others.

• Chop the various pickles and celery into roughly the same small size so you get a little bit of everything in every bite.

• I am battling a pretty rough 48-hour virus (it feels like something between a bad cold and a mild flu) that has left me feeling a bit weak and loopy, so if any of today’s newsletter sounds… weird… well, it’s me but not me. Sorry!

The recipe

Serves: 4-6

Ready in: 20 minutes (more if you use dried beans!)

Ingredients:

• 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• ½ red onion, very thinly sliced

• ½ tbsp sumac

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

• Heaping ½ cup roughly chopped dill pickles

• Heaping ¼ cup sliced pickled pepperoncinis

• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

To quick-pickle/marinate your onions, toss the thinly sliced red onion with the sumac, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and let sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients — 15-20 minutes should be sufficient. I only used about half of these for the salad, though you could add more. They’re also good on salads, grain bowls, tacos, eggs — whatever!

For the dressing:

• 1 packed cup mixed herbs (dill, cilantro, parsley, plus a little chives)

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• ½ tbsp honey

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Jalapeño, to taste (I used ½ and it was quite spicy!)

Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, adding cold water a tablespoon at a time to achieve your desired consistency.

Toss with the salad ingredients, let it sit for 20-30 minutes so the beans can absorb some of the dressing, and enjoy!

Notes

• This salad is best in the first 3 days, but will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.