Mediterranean Green and White Bean Salad
The end of summer is here, my windows have been open and the air conditioning off for two days now and a sigh of relief has come over my whole being. This doesn’t mean we won’t have any more brutally hot days, but it means that they won’t be the only days we have, fall will approach in that sweet way that it nears every year, with a crispness in the air that always felt like a new beginning to me.
We’ll miss those summer vegetables, the markets are already a little slimmer, though South Carolina has such a long growing season that I am still able to find green beans and beautiful heirloom tomatoes. This salad is a wonderful celebration of summer, or end of summer in this case.
Mediterranean Green & White Bean Salad
from 1,000 Jewish Recipes by Faye Levy
- 3/4 pound green beans, ends removed, halved
- 3 to 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
- 2 cups cooked white beans or one 15-ounce can white beans, drained
- 3/4 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/3 cup black olives, or kalamata olives, halved and pitted
- 3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 1 to 2 tbsp strained fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshley ground pepper, to taste
Add green beans to a large saucepan of boiling salted water and boil uncovered over high heat 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain well again.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in medium skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium-low hear, stirring often, about 7 minutes or until tender but not brown.
Combine white beans, green beans, onion with oil, tomatoes, olives, and basil in a bowl and toss lightly.
Whisk lemon juice with 1 tbsp oil and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl; salt lightly because olives are salty. Add to salad and toss until ingredients are coasted. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add remaining oil if desired and toss again. Serve at room temperature.
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