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1
Bring 1 1/2 inches water to a boil in a pot over medium heat.
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2
Place a steaming basket over the boiling water and add the green beans.
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3
Cover and steam until the beans are still crisp-tender with a little bite, but have lost all rawness (just long enough to take the fuzz off them, as an old friend used to say).
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4
It the beans are slim and tender, this should be 3 to 4 minutes; fatter beans, which are no less delicious in this salad, can take 10 to 12 minutes.
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5
Remove the steamer from the pot, reserving the steaming water.
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6
Rinse the green beans under cold water, drain well, and transfer to a bowl.
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7
Repeat the same process with the limas over the same water, steaming for about 10 minutes.
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8
Once theyre cooked, rinsed with cold water, and drained, combine with the green beans.
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9
Repeat the same process with the carrots, again using the same steaming water, steaming for 1 minute.
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10
Rinse, drain, and add to the beans in the bowl.
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11
Leaving the cover off of the steaming pot, remove the steamer, and raise the heat to a hard boil.
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12
Cook to reduce the steaming liquid to 1 tablespoon or less, 6 to 8 minutes.
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13
Watch closely so you dont scorch the liquid.
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14
While the steaming liquid is reducing, add the chickpeas, celery, and red onion to the bean mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste (be sure to add enough salt; beans require it to come up to full flavor).
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15
Squeeze the first lemon into the salad through a strainer (to catch seeds); if its not very juicy, squeeze in the juice of the second lemon.
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16
Stir in the reduced steaming liquid, minced parsley and the oil (much, much more oil is traditional in these sorts of salads than is called for here, but I dont feel that it is necessary for a full-flavored, pleasing salad).
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17
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is better.
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18
Before serving, bring to room temperature, taste, and, if necessary, re-season.
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19
(If you didnt already use it, you might need that second lemon now.)
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20
Serve as a first-course salad as part of a Middle Eastern-style feast of small dishes, or as one element in a component dinner.
