Turmeric Shallots with Crispy Buckwheat & Beans
Some might say jammy shallots don't count as a full vegetable side, but I hope this recipe proves them wrong. This makes a plate of jammy, spicy shallots, perfectly balanced with a crispy buckwheat and bean salad. The textures are perfect together, leaving you with a flavorful, balanced and easy lunch or dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 high sided sauté pan
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat
- 1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup fresh dill stems removed
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 lb shallots
- 1 large fresno pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp each coriander and cumin
- 1 tbsp tahini for serving
Instructions
- Space two racks evenly apart in the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Cook the buckwheat per package instructions. Drain and spread out evenly on a baking sheet so that no pieces overlap.
- Dry the cannellini beans, add them to a small food processor and pulse 3-5 times. Fluff with a fork to form bean "crumbles." You can also skip this and just use whole beans, which will be a bit more soft, it's up to you! Add the beans to a baking sheet.
- Drizzle both the buckwheat and beans with up to 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with kosher salt. Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the beans are puffed and the buckwheat is golden brown and crisp.
- While the beans and buckwheat are baking, finely chop the cilantro and dill and add them to a large bowl. Add in the vinegar, stir and set aside.
- When the beans and buckwheat are out of the oven, add them in with the herbs and vinegar and stir to combine. Taste and season if needed, set aside.
- Peel and halve the shallots. Halve and deseed the pepper.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of oil, the turmeric, coriander and cumin. Add the shallots, cut side down and sear for 3-4 minutes or until dark golden. Flip and move the flipped shallots to the edge of the pan where there's less heat, and add the next batch to the center. Repeat this step until all the shallots are seared. Add the fresno pepper in with the final batch. Once all the shallots are cooked, stir and cook another 3-4 minutes to get the shallots all jammy. Season with kosher salt as needed.
- To serve, add the crispy buckwheat salad to plate and pile high with the shallots. Drizzle tahini on top for richness. Eat warm!