Georgian Tbilisi Salad with Beef and Kidney Beans
I always thought Georgian cuisine didn't have much variety when it came to salads. Until I tried Tbilisi salad: an amazing dish of chopped vegetables, red kidney beans and boiled beef, with khmeli suneli, cilantro, walnuts and a light dressing of oil and wine vinegar. It's unbelievably good!
I'm not entirely sure it's an appetizer. The dish is very filling, and a big portion will keep you full for a long time. A slight heat from the red chili pepper among the ingredients gives it a kick without burning at all. Only the meat needs cooking, and you can do that the day before. You also need to boil the red kidney beans, though canned ones are an easy substitute.
As in many Georgian dishes, the salad uses cilantro and garlic. That guarantees aroma and a light, refreshing zing. Surprisingly, the ingredients are balanced so that you can't taste the garlic at all. The main spice is khmeli suneli; you can make it yourself or buy it. We use it in kharcho soup as an alternative to utskho suneli, which isn't always available.
Walnuts give the salad a special charm. They're in a great many Georgian dishes. I used to think nuts were the backbone of the cuisine. Maybe they are. Our favorite sauce is made from walnuts and cilantro with garlic; we never miss a chance to make satsivi for dishes like chicken satsivi or fish in satsivi sauce. To improve the flavor, we always lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet.
Some versions of the recipe use lamb or pork, even turkey. But the best salad is made from well-cooked lean beef. A whole piece of lean meat is simmered in broth with vegetables, black pepper and bay leaves.
Beef for the salad needs long cooking. Usually, depending on the particular cut, it can take 1-2 hours. The meat should be tender and slightly springy. Don't cook it until it falls apart into fibers. To keep all the juices inside, it's best to drop the beef into boiling water, since making a rich broth isn't the goal at all. For better flavor, you can add dried soup vegetables to the broth.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Lean beef 300 g
- Canned red kidney beans 1 can
- Red onion 1
- Red bell pepper 1
- Hot red chili pepper 0.5-1
- Walnuts (shelled) 50 g
- Garlic 1-2 cloves
- Cilantro 1 bunch
- Salt, black pepper, khmeli suneli, vegetable oil, wine vinegar, bay leaf, dried soup vegetables to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- For a tasty Tbilisi salad, take a piece of beef that isn't too old. Trim it thoroughly of membranes and bits of bone and remove all the fat. Veal is more tender and has a distinct flavor of its own, so it's better not to use it. You can often buy a suitable piece of beef that needs no preparation at all before cooking.
- To keep the cooked meat juicy, it's best to drop it into boiling water. On contact with hot water, the surface of the meat seizes up, forming a kind of crust. It keeps all the juices inside rather than enriching the broth. Pour 2-2.5 liters of water into a pot, add 1-2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp of dried soup vegetables and a few black peppercorns. Salt the water very lightly, literally a pinch. When the water boils, drop in the meat and cook until done: the meat should be tender but not falling apart into fibers. Then let the meat cool.
- Prepare the vegetables and other ingredients. If you have dried red kidney beans, soak them in cold water in advance, then cook until tender. I usually cook beans in plenty of water at a gentle simmer in an uncovered pot. That keeps the beans from splitting. Alternatively, buy a can of ready-to-use beans; they only need rinsing. Sort through the walnuts and toast them in a dry skillet until fragrant.
- Peel a small red onion and cut it into thin strips. Put the onion in a bowl. Add 1-1.5 tbsp of grape vinegar and cover with cold water. After 20-30 minutes, drain the water and lightly squeeze out the excess moisture. The onion will be slightly tangy, without the sharp onion smell. That's just right for Tbilisi salad.
- It's easiest to mix the ingredients in a large bowl, then divide them among plates for serving. Put the cooked beans into the bowl and add the onion. Let the toasted walnuts cool. Then chop them with a knife or just break them up with your fingers. Seed the hot pepper, using as much as you like, and cut it into thin strips. Seed the bell pepper as well and cut it into strips. Finely chop the garlic.
- Pick the leaves off the cilantro sprigs and chop them with a knife. I don't use the stems in the salad, although they're juicy and many people like them. Add the cilantro to the bowl. Cut the boiled, cooled beef into cubes, larger than for Olivier salad. Add the meat to the salad bowl. Lightly salt everything and season with ground black pepper. Add the khmeli suneli spice blend. I added 0.5 tsp, and the Tbilisi salad came out very fragrant and slightly spicy.
- Toss the salad thoroughly so all the ingredients are evenly distributed. In a cup, mix 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil (olive oil works) and 1 tsp of grape vinegar. Whisk with a fork and dress the salad. Toss gently. Let the salad rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- The salad can be served as an appetizer. Divide it among individual salad bowls or serving plates. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and nuts, and scatter hot pepper rings on top.
| Serves: | 2 servings |
| Calories: | 210 |
| Prep: | 1 h 30 mins |
| Cook: | 30 mins |
| Total: | 2 h |
| Category: | Salads |
| Cuisine: | Caucasian cuisine |
| Rating: |
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
⭐
4.9
(2)
|