Dandelion Salad With Navy Beans

A sensational spring recipe for these strongly flavoured greens. Feel free to add more sun-dried tomatoes, and use a little of their oil for some natural, tasty dressing. The tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene and the beans add a serving of protein. This dish is also excellent served on top of baked or mashed potatoes. Serves six.

8 cups (2 l) vegetable stock or water
1 medium onion
2 lbs (1 kg) dandelion greens, trimmed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
2 cups (500 ml) navy beans, cooked

In a large soup pot, bring the stock or water to a boil. Add greens and the whole onion and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the greens are tender. Drain and cool. Remove and discard the onion. Toss greens with the tomatoes, beans and garlic. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variation: You can substitute navy beans with sunflower seeds.

Source: alive #245, March 2003