Three Beans in Lettuce Parcels

Three types of beans (chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and flageolet) get a quick stir-fry in garlic herb dressing with red chili, then get spooned into crisp Chinese lettuce leaves. It’s a vegetarian wrap that takes about five minutes to cook and comes together with barely any effort.

Using the salad dressing as a cooking sauce is a shortcut that actually works. The garlic and herb flavors concentrate as the liquid evaporates during those two to three minutes in the hot wok. What starts as a pourable dressing turns into a glossy glaze that coats every bean.

The three-bean combination gives you a range of textures. Chickpeas are firm and nutty, black-eyed peas are creamy and soft, and flageolet beans (a small French kidney bean) are delicate and buttery. Together they make a more interesting filling than any single bean could.

Don’t overcook. You want the beans heated through and the dressing reduced, not the beans turned to mush. Two to three minutes of stir-frying is plenty.

Kitchen Tips

• Use canned or pre-cooked beans, drained and rinsed. Starting from dried beans for a 5-minute stir-fry doesn’t make sense.
• Choose large, sturdy lettuce leaves that can hold the filling without tearing. Chinese cabbage (napa) leaves or butter lettuce cups work well.
• Seed the red chili if you want flavor without too much heat. Leave the seeds in for a spicier kick.
• Add the chives at the very end, off the heat, so they stay bright green and fresh-tasting.

Variations

• Swap flageolet beans for cannellini or butter beans if flageolets are hard to find.
• Add a squeeze of lime juice and a splash of soy sauce to the beans for an Asian-leaning flavor.
• Top with crumbled feta or a drizzle of tahini for extra richness.