Renee says: “I love bean salads. They feel like the perfect do-ahead food, getting better over time. They are great at room temp, too; in fact, I prefer them this way.

“With beans, it is super important to have enough dressing to give the salad some forceful flavour. Here, the toasted spices help keep this salad bright and interesting over time. Feel free to change the black beans out for your favourite bean, and always double-check the seasoning just before serving, especially if you made the salad earlier in the day.”

Ingredients

650g dry black beans, soaked overnight in cold water
½ white onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
80ml white wine vinegar
1 red onion, cut into 6mm slices
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
60ml olive oil
juice of 2 small limes, plus more to taste
120ml crema or crème fraîche
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and stems, plus flowers if you have them
crunchy sea salt, to finish

Method

Drain the black beans and place them in a 3- to 4-litre saucepan with the white onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover the beans by 5cm. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 20 minutes, then season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Continue to cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, 10 to 20 more minutes, depending on the freshness of the beans.

Drain, discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, then spread the beans out on a baking sheet and refrigerate to cool.

While the beans are cooking, bring 120ml water, the vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Add the red onion to the vinegar mixture, stir, and turn off the heat. Let cool to room temperature.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. Let them cool, then coarsely grind or crush in a mortar and pestle.

In a large bowl, toss the cooled beans with the crushed spices, olive oil, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Season with more salt or lime juice, if desired.

Arrange the bean mixture in a serving dish and spoon the crema in large blobs on top. Drain some of the pickled onions and drape them on top of the crema.

Finish the dish with a sprinkle of coriander and crunchy salt.

Renee Erickson’s beautiful travel-inspired recipes will take you around the world