Zesty Adzuki Bean Salad! Recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods.

I made this for Pete today since he’s still having some pain. This turned out to be really good. It lives up to it’s name: zesty. It’s easy to make too which I like. Whole Foods had all of the ingredients. You should be able to get all of these (or substitutes) at your local grocer store:

1 1/2 cups dried adzuki beans
1/4 cup arame sea vegetable
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of finely grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 1/4 cups of finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of tamari
1/4 cup of lime juice
1 cut of sliced green onions
1 cup of grated carrots

Place beans in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, 45-60 minutes. Drain and rinse gently under cold water. Set aside to let cool completely. Meanwhile, soak arame in cold water for 15 minutes, drain and rinse well.

Put oils, ginger, garlic, basil, vinegar, pepper flakes, tamari and lime juice into a large bowl and whisk to make a dressing. Add cooled beans, arame, green onions and carrots and toss gently to combine.

Note from the chef (me!): I made the started soaking the beans around 10:00 am until 7:00 pm at which time I cooked them on the stove for about 55 minutes. From there I rinsed them and let them cool. The cooling process is quick when you rinse them in cold water so they do not need to set out long to cool. I put mine in a tupperware container and put them in the fridge until morning. The next day I assembled the rest of the ingredients and also soaked the arame. It was easier for me to do it in two steps and over two days so I didn’t feel like I was a slave to the kitchen. This is about as easy as it get folks. If I made it then I know you can make it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe courtesy of Whole Foods. It is delicious and very zesty with tons of flavors mixed in for your palate to discover!

Sara Sawochka