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By Becky Krystal

Layered Three-Bean Salad. (Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

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Good Saturday morning, everyone. I cannot believe we’re already at the beginning of August. This is also the month when many schools, including ours, start — even if it is on the very last day before the calendar switches over to September. (Just don’t remind my kid, okay?)

Even as the weeks fly by, I can at least take solace in the fact that a lot of my favorite summer foods and dishes will still be in season for a while. My plans this weekend include eating BLTs by the pool and buying more peaches than I know what to do with. Speaking of BLTs and peaches, if you haven’t tried tucking a peach slice or two in your BLT (along with the tomato), you are seriously missing out. In addition to toasting the bread with bacon fat, it’s one of my favorite twists on the classic sandwich.

There are plenty of cookout staples that also fall into classic summer favorites, including three-bean salad. In the past, we’ve offered a fairly standard rendition of the dish, as well as a sandwich version. For this week’s featured recipe, Layered Three-Bean Salad, Ellie Krieger gave the retro side a modern update. The base of the dish is a creamy, lemony white bean dip, topped with a salad featuring blanched green beans and canned kidney beans, all drizzled with a pleasantly sharp vinaigrette. Serve it as a side like the dish that inspired it often is, or try it as a meatless main course, especially if it’s accompanied by crusty bread.

Ellie designed the salad as a nod to the kind of layered plating you see in cookbooks and all over social media these days, typically some combination of creamy, crunchy and saucy elements. It makes for an eye-catching presentation full of enticing and contrasting textures. It’s also a great way to add restaurant-style flair to your dishes without having to pull out the tweezers or squeeze bottles. If you can pile food on a plate, you can do this, too. Below you’ll find a few other recipes that use this same strategy for building a fun, satisfying meal, layer by layer.

One thing I like about layered dishes is that they lend themselves well to your own tweaks, since it’s usually pretty easy to switch out the base or toppings. Unleash your creativity, I say.

A reader in my live weekly cooking chat was feeling similarly ready to experiment when they asked whether they could substitute bacon fat for butter in cookies. Now that is just the right level of intriguingly unhinged I can get behind! How else can I help you fulfill your cooking dreams or solve your kitchen dilemmas? Join me for the next session of my chat Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Send your questions now, then come back for the conversation in real time.

Until next week, happy cooking.

Grilled Merguez Patties With Cabbage Salad

(Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky)

These spiced meat patties are inspired by merguez, the North African sausage flavored with lots of spices, garlic and harissa.

By Julia Turshen

Sugar Snap Peas With Sizzling Oil and Whipped Tofu

Sweet Potato Salsa Salad

Spring Onion and Halloumi Kebabs With Romesco

Grilled Oyster Mushroom Kebabs With Parsley-Spinach Puree

Roasted Cauliflower With White Bean Puree

Recipe of the week

(Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

Layered Three-Bean Salad

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Save or print the recipe

Storage: Refrigerate the green bean mixture and white bean puree separately for up to 3 days. Refrigerate any remaining dressing for up to 1 week.

Servings: 4 to 8 (makes 6 cups)

Active time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

12 ounces green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One (15.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal (scant 1 cup)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (half-moons)
One (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)
1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until slightly tender but still crisp and bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain, then transfer the green beans to the ice water and cool completely, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a cutting board, pat dry and cut into 1-inch pieces.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the honey, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Add the green beans, kidney beans, celery and onion, and toss to combine. Allow to marinate in the dressing for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate in an airtight container until needed.

3. In a food processor, combine the cannellini beans, the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the lemon zest and juice, the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and process until smooth and creamy. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate until needed.

4. To assemble the salad, spread the white bean puree on a large serving platter. Use a slotted spoon to distribute the green bean mixture on top of the bean puree, and drizzle with as much of the dressing from the bottom of the bowl as you like. Serve any remaining dressing on the side or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Sprinkle the basil on top of the salad and serve.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Tested by Becky Krystal.

Nutrition information per serving (about 2/3 cup green bean mixture with dressing and 2 2/3 tablespoons white bean puree), based on 8: Calories: 199; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 276 mg; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 6 g; Protein: 6 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: