Quinoa-Bean Salad With Lots of Dill

This herby, nutrient-dense salad brought me out of the disembodied sterility of a scheduled C-section and back to the natural world. Hearty enough to sate a breastfeeding mom and stable enough to hold for days in the fridge, this dish—dreamed up by my doula Rebecca Belenky—will have you screaming, “Isn’t dill amazing?!” on one hour of sleep.

The dressing features Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and sumac—all tangy components that gave me the gentle slap in the face I needed to bring me out of my zombie-like state and reenter human society.

Leading up to my pregnancy, I had shunned any semblance of “food prep,” but here I was postpartum, with a whole new perspective on the concept. It became essential. I could use the bursts of energy I did have to take care of my future, bone-tired self, who would not be able to eat if there wasn’t something to grab from the fridge. This salad, built on pantry ingredients like quinoa and canned beans, was a cornerstone of that technique for me. I could make a big batch of it when I was feeling alive, then throw a fat scoop on top of some arugula when I was inevitably a depleted husk. —Annah Feinberg

Read More: My Postpartum Doula Turned Me Into a Dill Evangelist