I stumbled upon a package of dried soybeans in our office yesterday. Actually, I didn't stumble upon them; they've been sitting on top of our office mini-fridge, staring me in the face every time I've grabbed my lunch ever since I started my job at the Illinois Stewardship Alliance three months ago. What I mean to say is, I really didn't take notice of them.
I mean who really notices soybeans anymore? I see those almost every day in the spring, summer, and fall. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres of them all across rural Illinois. So it's not hard to imagine that a little package of them would escape my attention.
But as I was pulling my soggy salad out of the fridge yesterday, dreaming of sunshine and fresh greens, I realized, it's not spring, summer, or fall. It's still winter here. And what the heck do we have packages of dried soybeans sitting on top of the fridge for anyways?
A closer look revealed that these soybeans are for eating. Have you ever eaten a dried soybean?
Me neither.
We live in a land literally dominated by soybeans, and I've never even eaten one; couldn't even point to a single recipe that uses dried soybeans. What the heck?
So I started doing some research on the internet to see if I could find some dried soybean recipes there. I found a smattering of Indian and Korean recipes, but nothing with familiar ingredients. How can Illinois not have any soybean recipes, folks?
So I'm making up my own.
I wanted it to be a recipe with seasonal, local ingredients, so I also picked up a loaf of locally made bread from the Incredibly Delicious bakery here in town and a bunch of asparagus. The asparagus weren't locally grown, but they should start popping up in your garden by late April, and there's nothing more local than that! (And if you don't have a garden, steal some from your neighbor. Kidding! Ask politely. And then go plant your own garden, because seriously, you should have a garden.)
And from those ingredients, the Soybean Crostini with Spring Asparagus recipe was born! Just in time to impress your family with on Easter.
I'm going to be honest that I use the term "recipe" loosely. I'm not really a recipe kind of chica. I'm more of a tosser and taster...you know...the kind of person that keeps adding stuff in until it tastes just right? Think of the recipe below as more of a guideline- you can adjust the measurements as needed.
Now say this in your best hippy voice: "Don't tie your taste buds down to a recipe, man, let them run free"
Alright, here we go:
Soybean Crostini with Spring Asparagus
I mean who really notices soybeans anymore? I see those almost every day in the spring, summer, and fall. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres of them all across rural Illinois. So it's not hard to imagine that a little package of them would escape my attention.
But as I was pulling my soggy salad out of the fridge yesterday, dreaming of sunshine and fresh greens, I realized, it's not spring, summer, or fall. It's still winter here. And what the heck do we have packages of dried soybeans sitting on top of the fridge for anyways?
A closer look revealed that these soybeans are for eating. Have you ever eaten a dried soybean?
Me neither.
We live in a land literally dominated by soybeans, and I've never even eaten one; couldn't even point to a single recipe that uses dried soybeans. What the heck?
So I started doing some research on the internet to see if I could find some dried soybean recipes there. I found a smattering of Indian and Korean recipes, but nothing with familiar ingredients. How can Illinois not have any soybean recipes, folks?
So I'm making up my own.
I wanted it to be a recipe with seasonal, local ingredients, so I also picked up a loaf of locally made bread from the Incredibly Delicious bakery here in town and a bunch of asparagus. The asparagus weren't locally grown, but they should start popping up in your garden by late April, and there's nothing more local than that! (And if you don't have a garden, steal some from your neighbor. Kidding! Ask politely. And then go plant your own garden, because seriously, you should have a garden.)
And from those ingredients, the Soybean Crostini with Spring Asparagus recipe was born! Just in time to impress your family with on Easter.
I'm going to be honest that I use the term "recipe" loosely. I'm not really a recipe kind of chica. I'm more of a tosser and taster...you know...the kind of person that keeps adding stuff in until it tastes just right? Think of the recipe below as more of a guideline- you can adjust the measurements as needed.
Now say this in your best hippy voice: "Don't tie your taste buds down to a recipe, man, let them run free"
Alright, here we go:
Soybean Crostini with Spring Asparagus
1 1/2 cups dried soybeans
1 small white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
1/4 cup lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch of asparagus
1 loaf of whole grain bread (or any crunchy French bread will do)
1 small white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
1/4 cup lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch of asparagus
1 loaf of whole grain bread (or any crunchy French bread will do)
1. Prepare your dried beans by soaking over night. But ain't nobody got time for that...so you can also follow the "power soak" method which I highly recommend.
My soybeans are from Breslin Farms, a father-daughter team from Ottawa, Illinois. You can find your own soybeans by visiting their website.
2. Drain and rinse your beans and then throw them back into the pot with enough water to cover them. Simmer the beans lightly on medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.
3. While the beans are cooking, prepare your asparagus by trimming off the bottom inch and tossing them into a shallow pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Once the asparagus are tender, take them out and immediately put them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and lock in that crisp green color (I usually just rinse them in cold water in my strainer to avoid the whole messy ice bath scenario).
4. Finely chop your garlic and onion, and zest and squeeze your lemon. Please do use a fresh lemon because it makes a world of difference.
5. Drain your beans and add them to a food processor along with the garlic, onion, lemon, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add more olive oil or water to bring the mix to the desired consistency.
6. Toast your bread under the broiler with a drizzle of olive oil. This will only take a couple of minutes so keep an eye on it!
Market on Koke Mill, but it was made by the Incredibly Delicious Bakery here in Springfield as well.
I'm a huge fan of hearty wheat breads and LOVED this "Sport Loaf" with seeds and carrots
I bought my bread from the new I'm a huge fan of hearty wheat breads and LOVED this "Sport Loaf" with seeds and carrots
Just look at all the goodness inside that bread
7. Roughly chop your parsley and trim your asparagus into bite size pieces. Leave the tip in tact though because it looks pretty and makes a nice presentation.
8. Slather a generous portion of your soybean spread onto the toast, top with parsley and asparagus and enjoy!
8. Slather a generous portion of your soybean spread onto the toast, top with parsley and asparagus and enjoy!
Of course there are a bajillion variations you could create for this recipe. Think of all the toppings! Tomatoes, bacon. and feta, or grilled zucchinis and sausage, or thin sliced radishes, edamame, and a sprinkling of parmesan. Mix and match and let those imaginations run wild! And don't let it stop there. See if you can't come up with your own unique recipe for Illinois soybeans.