Shell Bean Salad
from NYT Cooking
Pick up some of our new shell beans at one of our CSA pickups this week and make the perfect summer bean salad!
Ingredients:
FOR THE SALAD
- 1½ pounds shell beans (about 2⅓ cups shelled)
- 1 onion, halved
- 7 cups water
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each of parsley and thyme, a sprig of sage and a bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup sliced or diced celery
- 1 pound tomatoes, diced, or cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
- ½ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, mint
FOR THE DRESSING
- 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pureed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
FOR THE SALAD
- Combine the beans, onion, water, crushed garlic, bouquet garni and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, celery, tomatoes, feta and herbs. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt if desired.
- Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the salad, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.
Variations:
- Serve this salad warm or cold. Heat the beans if they’ve cooled off, then toss with the other ingredients.
- Add some of the liquid from the beans if you want more marinade for the mixture (though the tomatoes will become juicy).
- Make Tuna, Bean and Tomato Salad by adding a drained can of tuna to the mix.
- Advance preparation: You can cook the beans up to three days in advance. The salad will hold for a few hours. Tomatoes will continue to release juice, but this just makes everything taste even better.
