Dense Bean Salad

Steps

1. Cut the red onion into small 1/4-inch (5 mm) dice. Put it in a large bowl with the red wine vinegar and a pinch of the salt, stir and let it steep for 10 minutes while you prep everything else: it turns bright pink and loses its harsh bite.
2. Put the frozen edamame in a colander and run cold tap water over them for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until thawed. They are already blanched, so there is no need to cook them. Drain well.
3. Add the chickpeas and cannellini beans to the same colander and rinse until the water no longer foams, then spread all the beans on a clean towel and pat them dry. The drier they are, the better the dressing clings and the less water the salad releases over the following days.
4. Halve the cucumber lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. Cut it into 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice, about the size of a chickpea. Stem and seed the red bell pepper, trim the white ribs and dice it the same size.
5. Zest the lemon into the bowl with the onion, then squeeze in the juice. Add the Dijon mustard, honey, grated garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, the rest of the salt and the black pepper. Whisk, then drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking until the vinaigrette is slightly thickened and smooth.
6. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cannellini beans and edamame. Pour in the vinaigrette with the onion, toss well and let it sit for 10 minutes: the beans start drinking up the dressing.
7. Meanwhile, halve the Kalamata olives, cut the feta into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes and finely chop the parsley and mint, including the tender parsley stems.
8. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, olives, feta and herbs to the bowl. Fold gently with a spoon, lifting from the bottom, to coat everything without crushing the feta.
9. Taste: the salad should be boldly seasoned, a little more than you'd think, because the beans will keep absorbing salt and acid. Adjust with a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon, then serve or divide among 4 airtight containers.