Are you bored of the same old, same old lettuce, tomato and onion salad? 

Try this simple, light and protein packed vegan and gluten-free Green Mung Salad – Maş Fasulyesi Piyazı- Mung bean salad with onions dressed with an garlic olive oil-vinegar dressing.

 Finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, nuts, herbs, chili pepper flakes or Gochugaru and sumac transform into a delightful tangy spicy salad.


Turkey’s mung bean salad (Maş Fasulyesi) is a popular Turkish dish. Did you know that mung beans (Maş Fasulyesi) are grown in the southeast of the country?

Serve it as a Meze or standalone meal.

Ingredients:

•  1 cup whole green Mung beans- soaked overnight
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup red bell pepper sliced
• ½ small onion sliced
• ½ cup diced tomato (optional)
• 2 spring onions
• 1/2 cup marinated green olives, pitted,  sliced
• 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used cilantro)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes or Gochugaru
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• *cubed Persian cucumbers ( I like to add this for a crunch) you can also top it with sliced avocado.
  
  For the dressing:
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon black ground pepper2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses

Garnish

• 1/4 cups pomegranate seeds
• 2 fresh mint sprigs

Directions:

1. Drain the soaked mung beans, then cook in a pan with turmeric and salt until almost soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes. While cooking skim the gray looking froth on the surface with a skimmer. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Finely slice the bell peppers, spring onions and olives and chop the parsley.
3. In a bowl combine the mung beans, cut veggies, red pepper flakes, sumac, walnuts
4. Prepare the dressing of olive oil,  pomegranate molasses garlic and black pepper and pour over the mung beans and toss gently without breaking up the beans.
5. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint leave. Serve room temp as a side or as a stand-alone meal.
6. You can replace pomegranate molasses with balsamic vinegar
7. Replace Sumac with the juice of half a lemon
8. If you can get fresh baby garlic dice and add it to the salad.