Extreme Vegan Makeover: Aduki Bean Salad Edition

You say azuki beans, I say adzuki beans. Or Aduki beans, or asuki beans or Tiensen red beans or red Oriental beans or feijao beans or red chori.

Call them whatever you want but add them to your shopping list. These small, reddish-brown, rounded beans are delicious and so good for you. They have a strong, nutty, sweet flavor and work great in stews or salads.

They are easy to digest and don’t take as long as other beans to cook. They are filled with flavonoids (antioxidants). Compared to other beans, adukis are one of the highest in proteins and lowest in fat. They also have high levels of potassium and fiber, B vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc.

Check this out: a ¼ cup serving provides:

160 calories
0.5% fat
600 mg. of potassium
11 g. of protein
6 g. of fiber
Percent Daily Values: Calcium 6%, Iron 20%, Magnesium 10%, Thiamine 15%, Riboflavin 6% and Niacin 6%

Note: values may differ based on the source. These were found at www.adzuki.com and are based on dried beans.

Adukis are used a lot in macrobiotic diets. According to Eunice Farmilant, author of Macrobiotic Cooking, they are “the most yang of beans.”

If you buy the beans dried, soak them overnight to reduce cooking time. Rinse and drain them thoroughly. For 1 cup of beans, use 3 ¼ cups water. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes (it would be about 2 hours if you didn’t soak them). Or you can buy them in the can. Eden Organic sells them with no salt added and fat free. The only ingredients listed are: organic aduki beans, water and kombu seaweed. And their web site is really cool too!

I used aduki beans to make a very simple salad that makes a delicious side dish, snack, picnic food or potluck dish. What will you make with them?

Ingredients
Note: I made a small salad. For a group of people, double or triple the recipe. And of course, adjust the dressing to whatever seasonings you like best.

1 15oz. can of Aduki beans, rinsed and drained
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. each garlic powder, dried parsley, dried oregano, and dill

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Let marinate for a bit for the flavors to deepen. Eat chilled or at room temperature.

Wow, that was the shortest directions section ever! Enjoy!