You may have heard of the KISS principle…. Keep it simple, silly… Yes, that’s my motto most days. I wanted to use up what we had on hand and that was, you guessed it, for this roasted potato and green bean salad. This recipe makes a great side dish for your summer parties and it would also make a great dish to bring along on a picnic which is the theme for this month's Recipe Redux.
As I was preparing the dish, I thought that really, this plant-based way of eating is just preparing side dishes to be the main course most days. You just want to make them the star. Add some tofu or tempeh if you must, but why not just eat the veggies. It surprising to know, but vegetables have protein, too.
A medium sized potato contains 2.1 grams of protein, not to mention it’s other qualities, about 620 mg of potassium (that’s more than a normal sized banana), 1.3 grams of fiber from the skin, and no fat. Green beans have about 2 grams of protein in 1 cup.
There seems to be some confusion or misinformation out there about just how much protein we need… to quote Dr. McDougall, who is a firm believer in a plant-based diet for health and wellness and has a clinic devoted to turning people’s lives around (you can check it out here: Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center).
"Our greatest time of growth—thus, the time of our greatest need for protein—is during our first 2 years of life—we double in size. At this vigorous developmental stage our ideal food is human milk, which is 5% protein. Compare this need to food choices that should be made as adults—when we are not growing. Rice is 8% protein, corn 11%, oatmeal 15%, and beans 27%. Thus protein deficiency is impossible when calorie needs are met by eating unprocessed starches and vegetables.”
So enjoy your veggies and con’t worry too much about protein. If you'd like to know more about getting protein on a plant-based diet, read this article, "Am I Getting Enough Protein on a Plant-Based Diet?"
I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Roasted Potato Green Bean Salad ! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Servings | people |
- 3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
- 1-2 medium yams peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 cups green beans trimmed and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 red onion sliced thinly
- Optional: kalamata olives or any olives you have on hand
- 1/3 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbl grainy or regular mustard
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
Dressing
| Rate this recipe! |
- Steam the green beans for about 10 minutes until tender and roast the potatoes in a 400 degree oven 10 minutes until tender. To keep from sticking to the pan, you can add a little non-stick spray.
- Mix the beans and potatoes with the red onion and optional olives.
- Prepare the dressing and pour over vegetables. Mix to combine, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Did I miss something? Was there a particular dressing to go with this salad? I couldn’t see a recipe for one..
Ann Lloyd
Hi Ann, I’ll separate the dressing ingredients to make it clearer.
Whoops….I think I have got it now…sorry
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try!
????Thanks! ????