I make a quinoa and black bean salad. - you can add corn, halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, green onions, fresh herbs and whatever else sounds good. Curried rice salad is good and including wild rice bumps up the protein level significantly. I like to add leftover chicken to mine but that is optional. You can also use tofu in salads. Lots of recipes online.

This is a favorite I've posted here before. Great for summer.

New Potato and Green Bean Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinnned potatoes
3/4 pound haricots verts (see Note below), stems trimmed
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

For Dressing:
Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 1-2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temp and rewhisk before using.)

For Salad:
Steam potatoes until tender. Cool; cut into quarters. Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer beans to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain. Cut beans in half. Combine beans, potatoes, onion and basil in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and let stand at room temp.) Garnish bowl with a small bunch of fresh basil before serving.

Note: If you can't find haricots verts, buy the slenderest green beans available.

Sorry...one more since I'm thinking of making this tomorrow.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
Dressing
1 small clove garlic
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 T. olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small hass avocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

I can recommend this website as a good resource for tasty plant based recipes.

Try cooking some lentils with a garlic clove, halved onion and herbs. Or drain and rinse a tin! Drain and cool. Pour over a vinaigrette and add quartered tomato, finely sliced spring onion, herbs and a big green salad. I like this with tinned tuna too.

Include cooked raw peanuts to have more flexibility in flavor profile.

Beans taste like beans. Peanuts do not taste like beans.

I am growing lots of corona beans and scarlet emperor beans.

dcarch

Thank you!!! This gives me somewhere to start. Also my step sister and I had borrowed cookbooks from each other years ago. We just finally returned them. So I have a big fat vegetarian cookbook to look through.

As far as gardening I just planted some elderly pole bean seed. And planning on planting more bush beans today and then at intervals going forward. I don’t usually grow dry beans though.

Although I have a couple of cans around I usually start with dry beans. The Instant Pot makes beans easier (not that they are difficult anyway). I like being able to tweak flavorings. Extras get frozen in pint jars.

I prefer cooking from dry also, but I always make sure to have some cans in the pantry.

I usually make a big batch seasoned only with salt, and freeze the extras for later in 16 ounce portions.

Okay, I figured out something just now. I bet Summer in Maine is a lot cooler than Summer in Southern California. :) Legumes aren't my idea of hot weather food. If you want more cookbooks to look at, try Feast from the Middle East and anything Ottolenghi. :)

Here's a recipe I'm very fond of, in fact, I'm making it today.

Lentil Salad with Sausages

2 c. brown or green lentils

2 qts water

Cook lentils until tender but still firm and intact. Drain and cool by spreading them out in a flat pan.

Add:

1/2 lb cooked sausage (anything from bratwurst to chorizo)

4 scallions, finely chopped

Combine:

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tb chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pour over still warm lentils and mix gently. Let sit for 15 minutes to meld flavors and serve either at room temperature or chilled.

I always make a couple batches of traditional southern green beans when my bush bean crop comes in (now, I made a batch on Saturday). GBs, ham hock, ham (or bacon), chopped onions/garlic, and new potatoes.

There's French lentil salad, which I have yet to master, you need the small dark French lentils, which I now have. I just haven't found a salad recipe I like yet. Other than the ones listed here, I like another French dish, Tuna and white bean salad. You can sub baked marinated tofu for the tuna. There are lots of recipes for that online. I usually wing mine, a can of oil packed tuna or the tofu, can of white beans of choice (I either do Great Northern or Cannellini) celery, red onions or scallions, some chopped Nicoise or kalamatta olives, parsley, lemon, EVOO and a healthy dash of Italian seasoning.

A fun bean based dinner we sometimes have in the summer is tacos. Also, I buy black bean burgers, (Morningstar Farms) but you can find lots of recipes for them online. I also often make nachos for lunch.

You can also add beans to macaroni salad. My favorite for that is dark red kidney beans.

Edited to add: Here's a recipe that sounds good for a type of French lentil salad. Sort of a riff on a lot of kale salad recipes I've seen. I have a recipe for "sweet and sour lentils" which uses canned pineapple and green pepper, so I think lentils would work OK with the sweet and sour ingredients in this recipe. https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/french-lentil-salad/

Mixing lentils and kale is nutrition packed! Both good sources of iron. Add some citrus for absorption. Throw in almonds and even quinoa for complete protein.

Thought of you this past week solidifying my 4th of July menu. I have a few dozen grains, beans, seeds in the pantry at all times and freezer, (edamame). I make a small pot once a week and have for years now. Mix and match as i wish. Sometimes a second pot mid week or friday night for the weekend.

We never tire of it as the veg and salad greens are always in rotation due to seasonal availability. As well different dressing choices.

I try and keep a few slaw type salad choices and greens chopped, sliced fruits, avocado...and recently DH has been absessed with ramen eggs. Good lunches or under a protein.

Sweetgreen has around 20+ locations in NYC now and more to come. I often look at their menu on-line for ideas as they also make some bowls seasonally.

Last nights quick meal was a bit of this and that from a big stock-up for the 4th. Roasted a big tray of seasoned chickpeas. We like they chewy. A great snack.

Last weekends brunch salad.

I made a few dressings this morning for Sunday. Just need to make a basic lemon vinaigrette. I made a nice creamy non-dairy one using white miso, mustard powder, ginger, tahini, etc....

This may not make much sense as it is for my reference and my sister but it is a start.

I did not make the nutty one as it does not really go with the meal plan. My sister likes it. She added some almond milk.

I made a really nice dressing for a potato salad i just put back on the menu.

Non-dairy with horseradish, ginger, tomato paste, etc...came out a nice light pink. Zesty. I'll keep half of that out of the potatoes as a salad dressing option. A bit like a Russian dressing?

This is interesting i came across this morning...AmericanTestKitchen book...i don't really follow them as they have a pay wall. Often chubby carb, biscuit, butter and fried heavy...

I don't recommend as i already use that method of 'use what you have' mix-n-match salad bowls.

During covid lockdown and continuing, i've been food saver-ing small 3-4 oz portions when i make a roast pork, boneless chicken thighs, smoked salmon, etc...sometimes with grains/beans, all cooked and an easy thaw/re-heat. Previously i was freezing maybe 8-10 ounce packets that i often avoided being too big and a longer thaw time.

My sister found this recipe. I love it as a meal and it works well with various substitutions — papaya or mixed tropical fruit, pickled jalapenos, etc. https://www.bushbeans.com/en_US/bean-recipes/black-bean-and-mango-salad

You could probably use canned pineapple tidbits in a crunch. Sweet and sour beans is a good flavor combo actually . . .