Joe Yonan is the Food and Dining editor of The Washington Post, where he writes the Weeknight Vegetarian column, and the author of the best-selling cookbook Cool Beans. As you can probably guess, he is a true Bean Freak! This recipe highlights the versatile Christmas Lima bean, perfect for creating vibrant and satisfying salads.

He says: "This salad is based on a Greek stew called piyaz, a recipe I learned from Michael Costa, chef at DC’s Zaytinya restaurant. For a weeknight, I turned the stew into this salad, which involves very little cooking—especially if you already have a couple cups of beans already cooked. If not, it still works, thanks to our good friend the pressure cooker (or Instant Pot). Christmas limas maintain their gorgeous pattern even when cooked, but other large beans are just as delicious. This salad keeps well because of the sturdy kale, so it’s a great dish to bring to a picnic or cookout." 

• 1 1/2 cups dried Christmas Lima beans (may substitute the largest lima beans or gigante beans you can find), soaked overnight and drained
• Water
• 1 (3 by 5-inch) strip kombu (dried seaweed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces lacinato or curly kale

DRESSING

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
• Freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1. Combine the beans in a large pot over medium-high heat with enough fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Add the kombu, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of the salt; cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the beans are tender, 60 to 90 minutes. You can also cook the beans in a stovetop or electric pressure cooker: bring to high pressure, then reduce the heat (if using a stovetop cooker) to medium to maintain pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then open.
2. Set the oven to broil and arrange the rack so that it’s as close as possible to the element or flame. Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Broil until charred and collapsed, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Wash and dry the kale thoroughly, then thinly slice it. Transfer to a large bowl, then use your hands to pick it up by the handful and gently squeeze, repeating for a few minutes until the kale is “massaged” and has turned darker and silkier.
4. Drain the beans, but don’t rinse them, and toss them with the kale.
5. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, honey, dill, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices and the walnuts. 
6. Pour half of the dressing over the kale-bean mixture and toss to combine. Grind some pepper over the top. Add more of the dressing if you’d like and save the rest to pass at the table or for another use. (You can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 1 week.)
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Reprinted with permission from Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes by Joe Yonan, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography credit: Aubrie Pick © 2020