Mediterranean White Bean Salad
The White Teary Beans used in this salad have been provided by Romona Farms.
Sharing this recipe with you today is so exciting! I’ve been working with the beans from Ramona Farms for a while now. I received them about a month ago. Included in the shipment was a package of White, Brown and Black Tepary Beans and Chick-Peas too.
Mediterranean White Bean Salad
In a word….they are delicious! Because they digest slowly they offer sustained energy for up to 6 hours after eating them – super cool!
Also since they are drought tolerant, I’m thinking they would be a great crop here in the drought stricken valley of Central California!
Mediterranean White Bean Salad
To back up a bit though, when I received them I initially struggled on how to use them. I wanted to honor the ancient heritage these beans have, but wasn’t sure how to do that. Then I decided the best way to do this would be to create my best recipe and I’m quite certain I have!
Just look at all that yummy goodness!
If you haven’t cooked dried beans, here’s a quick look at the process. First you sort the beans and remove any discolored beans and an occasional pebble (though I should add I didn’t find any in these beans!). Next you’ll rinse them well and put them on the stove. After bringing the pot to a boil, turn off and cover it. Allow it to sit for two hours, then pour off the liquid, add in fresh water and boil until the beans are tender. Don’t worry, the directions are right on the back of the package.
Cooking the beans
After draining the beans, I allowed them to cool and then combined the ingredients for the salad. Tomatoes, arugula, sugar snap peas, red onions, capers and parmesan cheese – topped off with a lemony vinaigrette! It couldn’t be any easier or more delicious!
After finishing the salad I decided it needed just a bit more bright fresh flavor and finished it off with a squeeze of lemon. The salty bite you get from the parm and capers paired with the crunch of the peas is mouthwatering! And the creaminess of the beans and peppery bite of the arugula makes for the perfect bite!
Check out these delicious beans recipes!
Mediterranean White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried white beans
- ¼ cup capers
- ½ red onion
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup good olive oil
- 2 whole lemons
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook beans according to package directions, drain well and allow to cool for about ½ hour. Place in a large bowl
- While the beans are cooling, chop the vegetables. Dice the onion and tomato. Clean the sugar snap peas and slice them into small bite sized pieces on the diagonal. Grate the parmesan cheese. All these ingredients along with the parmesan cheese to the bowl with the beans.
- Make the vinaigrette - zest & juice one lemon. Add the lemon juice & zest to a jar with the olive oil, salt & pepper. Shake together really well. Pour over the salad and mix to combine. This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled - perfect for a bbq!