Pasta Bean Salad
Submitted by shannon
Pasta bean salad with navy beans, snow peas, red pepper, toasted sesame oil, and tangy ume vinegar. A protein-packed Japanese-leaning lunch that holds up in the fridge.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsThis pasta salad takes a sharp left turn from the mayo-drenched American version and lands somewhere refreshingly Japanese. Toasted sesame oil and ume plum vinegar do the dressing work, giving the whole bowl a nutty, salty-sour kick that mayonnaise could never match.
The navy beans bring serious staying power: fiber and protein that make this a legitimate main-dish salad rather than a side. Blanching the snow peas for just a minute keeps them snappy and electric green instead of dull and soft. Pressed raw garlic goes straight in at the end so it stays pungent rather than mellowing out.
Kitchen Tips
- Shock the blanched pea pods in ice water the moment they come out. The cold plunge locks in color and stops the cooking dead.
- Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to wash off surface starch, or the salad turns gummy on day two.
- Dress the salad while the pasta is still slightly warm. Noodles drink in the sesame oil and ume vinegar better that way.
- Ume plum vinegar is salty, so taste before adding any extra salt to the finished salad.
Variations
- Swap udon for soba noodles and serve chilled for a hearty summer meal.
- Add shredded rotisserie chicken or pan-seared tofu for extra protein.
- Stir in toasted sesame seeds and sliced nori for more umami depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook pasta as package directs, al dente, drain and cool.
If using udon, break into thirds and cook as package directs.
While noodles are cooking, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
Blanch pea pods by dropping into boiling, salted water for 1 to 3 minutes.
Vegetables should be lightly cooked, crisp and bright.
Drain and rinse with cold water Drain if to set color.
Mix pasta, beans, vegetables, pressed garlic, and red pepper.
Add toasted sesame oil and ume vinegar directly to the salad, mix and serve.
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