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Beans are my hedge fund against hunger. Although beans go into many concoctions like soups, stews and dips, my hands-down summer favorite is bean salad. You might associate dried legumes with hearty, warming meals that take the chill off, but they can be surprisingly succulent and satisfying served in warm weather tossed atop a pile of crisp lettuce.

At first glance, dried legumes are not the most glamorous food, but investigate other cuisines and you’ll find that most employ beans or lentils in some utterly tasty and creative way. The epicurean French prepare French green lentils from du Puy into salads. These lentils hold their shape during cooking and so are particularly suited to warm or cold salads. Spanish cooks prepare tapas salads of white beans with olives, roasted red bell peppers, tomatoes and hard-cooked eggs dressed with olive oil and sherry vinegar. Southern India, with its huge population of vegetarians, boasts the most sophisticated legume dishes of all. Cooks prepare a delicious assortment of dal, rasam, curry, crepes, fritters and patties from a colorful profusion of whole, split or hulled, small and large beans, peas and lentils like kidney, mung and many varieties of chickpeas.

Please cook your own beans for the freshest tasting bean salad. One cup dry beans yields about 2-1/2 cups cooked. Rinse 2 cups dry beans well (I don’t soak), drain and pour into a large pot, with double the amount of water (4 cups), add 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until beans are tender but not falling apart, 1 to 1-1/2 hours or longer. Beans cook differently because of variety or age. Top up beans with boiling water to keep them covered. When beans are fully cooked, cool in the liquid 15 minutes and drain. Reserve broth for soup.

My Instapot/pressure cooker makes bean cooking quick and easy: 4 cups rinsed and drained beans to 8 cups cold water and 1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt. For bean salads I don’t fully cook the beans in the Instapot because I can’t easily determine the final texture. Pressure-cook beans 20 minutes, uncover, and simmer until the texture’s just right.

If you have hard water (who doesn’t in northern Michigan) and your beans never seem to achieve the creamy tenderness of canned, stir kosher salt into the water before cooking. If you like to soak beans, put salt into the soaking water. The salt magically tenderizes the bean, protects it against invasion of mineral hardness and deepens its flavor.

Bean salads need a big bright-flavored dressing; make extra because as beans (like pasta) sit they absorb flavor and turn bland. Start with color and texture and select contrasting ingredients to alleviate bean starchiness, like cooked or raw vegetables, toasted nuts or seeds and lots of herbs. Dress warm or room temperature beans with the oil after tossing with dressing ingredients. This allows the beans to absorb more intense flavor. Fruity citrus juice and red wine vinegar (Eden is my favorite) are especially tasty paired with beans. If you prepare bean salad ahead, bring it to room temperature, taste before serving and toss with extra dressing ingredients as needed for a big, bright flavor.

Cheaper than loaves and fishes, beans can serve hordes of teenagers for a few dollars — and, fitted with fiber, they are “heart healthy.” Beans salads can last for a week in the refrigerator and they grace picnics and barbecues. Canned beans are fine if you’re hurried and hungry, but the most subtle, sweet flavor comes from a bean cooked fresh. With a pressure cooker, Instapot or armed with the aforementioned skills, you’ve no excuse to not put tossed bean salads on your menu frequently this summer.

I’m on strike against sugary baked beans. My alternative is the bean toss. Double this recipe and keep it in the refrigerator for snacks; it will last 5 to 7 days, getting better each day.

1-1/2 C. dry Great Northern beans, cooked to yield about 4 cups

2 C. finely slivered red onion

1 C. sliced or diced carrots

1/2 t. dry oregano or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves

1/4 to 1/2 C. red wine vinegar

1 bunch Italian parsley, large stems removed, about 2 cups chopped

Drain cooked beans and pour into a bowl to cool. (Save the bean cooking water to use as broth for vegetarian soups. Chickpea broth is especially tasty.)

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a deep 10-inch pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook 1 minute, stirring. Cover pot, lower heat to medium-low, and cook onions until soft and tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Toss in carrots, oregano and salt. Cover pot and simmer vegetables until carrots are tender, 5 to 7 minutes more. Uncover pot and cook another minute.

Remove pot from heat and pour in 1/4 cup vinegar. Cool beans to warm and fold in parsley. Taste bean salad and season with salt, pepper and more vinegar or oil as necessary.

Rest beans 30 minutes before serving so flavors can penetrate. Taste salad again and season further, if necessary. Beans tend to absorb flavor over time so season them assertively.

— Adapted from Martha Holmberg at “Fine Cooking”

1 C. dry pink beans (to yield about 3 cups cooked)

2 T. minced fresh hot chile, such as jalapeño or serrano; more to taste

1 t. finely grated lemon zest

1/4 C. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Rinse beans well, pour into a large pot, cover by 3 to 4 inches of water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until beans are tender but not falling apart, 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours, or longer. Beans cook at different rates so check frequently; if the water level gets low, add more. When beans are cooked, cool in their liquid 15 minutes, drain and transfer beans to a mixing bowl.

While beans are cooking, char red pepper evenly all around on top of gas burner or under a broiler. Place in a bowl, cover and let it steam and cool. When cool enough to handle, pull out the core, scrape off all the skin and seeds and cut flesh into 1/4-inch dice, for about 1/2 cup.

In a medium bowl, whisk together chili, shallot, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and lemon zest and juice. Rest mixture 30 minutes to soften shallots and the marry flavors. Gently fold this into warm beans with a rubber spatula so beans are well coated, but remain whole. It will be liquidy, but the beans will gradually absorb the liquid. Fold in olive oil, roasted pepper, cilantro, parsley, and mint. Taste for seasoning and serve.

1/2 C. finely minced red onion

2 T. each: finely sliced chives and chopped parsley

1 C. finely diced carrot or red bell pepper

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

Combine lentils, shallot, bay leaf, salt and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover pot and simmer lentils until tender but still whole, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain liquid and discard. Pour lentils into a bowl. While warm, stir in vinegar, onion, herbs, carrot or bell pepper and oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Season with more vinegar as desired. Serve at room temperature.

8 oz. baby arugula, washed and spun dry (12 loosely packed cups)

3 C. cooked and drained white kidney/cannellini beans

1/3 C. pitted Kalamata olives (about 15), finely chopped

2 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves, divided

1/2 C. plus 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 C. finely diced red onion

1 heaped C. small ripe cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved

1/4 lb. block feta, crumbled (scant 1 cup)

Place arugula in a large serving bowl and the beans in a separate mixing bowl.

Pulse vinegar, olives, mustard and 1 teaspoon thyme in food processor or blender. With machine running, very slowly pour in 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 tablespoons water for a loose dressing. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup (with a pour spout).

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Stir in onion and cook, until soft and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Fold into the mixing bowl with beans.

Reduce heat to low and pour olive vinaigrette into the skillet. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until vinaigrette is warmed through, about 1 minute. Whisk to recombine.

Toss beans and tomatoes together with half the vinaigrette. When ready to serve, combine bean mixture with arugula by gently tossing. Drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need much), top with feta and serve.

2 C. dry Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 slices thick cut bacon, diced

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

6 C. finely sliced leeks, white and tender green parts

Cook beans as directed in the article. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Drain bacon fat off pan; add olive oil and leeks. Cook leeks over moderate heat until very tender, about 10 minutes. Fold bacon and leeks into beans. Season beans with salt and pepper. Rest beans 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Nancy Krcek Allen has been a chef-educator for more than 25 years and has taught professional and recreational classes in California, New York City and Michigan. Her culinary textbook is called “Discovering Global Cuisines.”

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