ABRAMS Dinner Party: New Native Kitchen...Featuring Great Northern Beans with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette #abramsdinnerparty #newnativekitchen #vegfriendly

Happy Holidays, everyone! It's time for the next recipe from my ABRAMS Publishing Dinner Party blogging group...and is this one ever GOOD! New Native Kitchen is a celebration of Indigenous Native American cuisine. Author and Native foods educator Chef Freddie Bitsoie showcases the wide range of flavors -- and the culinary history -- of Native American cooking. This cookbook provides modern takes on 100 recipes that have long fed this country. From Chocolate Bison Chili to Prickly Pear and Cheese Mousse Tarts, the recipes in New Native Kitchen honor Native American cooking traditions -- while experimenting with modern cooking methods. This cookbook features the recipes and regional cooking traditions of Indigenous groups from across the country. I made the book's simple and delicious Great Northern Beans with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette. Served chilled, it's essentially a flavorful bean salad that tastes great and looks gorgeous in a simple serving bowl. If you have friends and family who are vegetarian/vegan, this dish is a perfect addition to holiday parties and dinner menus you're planning!

Great Northern Beans

with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

from New Native Kitchen

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 4 1/2 cups Great Northern Beans, cooked OR two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup julienned red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 4 cups loosely packed mixed greens
• Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette -- makes approx. 3/4 cup:

• 3 TBS lemon juice (fresh)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl, add the carrot, celery, beans, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Stir well. Add the mixed greens. [NOTE: I arranged the greens around the perimeter of the bowl, covered, and refrigerated for a few hours at this point. I tossed everything with the lemon-thyme vinaigrette just before serving...to ensure the greens didn't wilt too much.] 

Step 2: Make the vinaigrette. Add the lemon juice, oil, thyme, and salt & pepper to a container. Whisk well to combine. 

Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a blender; puree until smooth. Reserve in the fridge until you're ready to toss your ingredients and serve. Any remaining dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Step 3: Just before serving, toss the salad and vinaigrette together. Serve immediately.

This salad is an excellent addition to a holiday buffet. It also makes a perfect light vegetarian or vegan lunch. The combination of crunchy veggies, creamy beans, and tangy dressing works together very nicely. I love food that tastes great and is also healthy! As an added bonus, the red tomatoes and green celery are especially festive for holiday entertaining. 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of New Native Kitchen as part of the ABRAMS Publishing Dinner Party blogging group. All opinions expressed in this feature are solely my own.