Warm Bean & Tomato Salad with Basil
Submitted by chuchulo
Warm green bean and chickpea salad with tomatoes, shallots, balsamic vinegar, basil, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. A vegan Mediterranean side dish served warm or at room temp.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
12 minREADY
28 minTwo kinds of beans, warm from the pan, tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, and a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. This salad bridges the gap between a side dish and a light meal, and it works beautifully warm or at room temperature.
The green beans get blanched just until tender (5 to 7 minutes, no more), then join sautéed shallots and drained chickpeas in the pan. The shallots cook in olive oil until soft, then a splash of balsamic vinegar hits the pan and reduces to a sticky glaze. That concentrated balsamic coats the chickpeas and green beans as they warm through.
Fresh tomatoes (seeded so they don’t make everything watery), olives, and basil go in at the end, off heat, so they keep their texture and freshness. The lemon juice and olive oil dressing ties everything together with bright acidity.
Kitchen Tips
- Seed your tomatoes. Tomato juice dilutes the dressing and makes the salad soggy. A quick seed-and-squeeze takes seconds and makes a big difference.
- Cook the green beans until just tender, not soft. They should have some snap left. Overcooked green beans turn army-green and mushy, which kills the texture contrast with the chickpeas.
- Reduce the balsamic before adding beans. Let it cook down for a minute after adding it to the shallots. Reduced balsamic is sweeter, thicker, and sticks to everything. Un-reduced balsamic runs right off.
- Serve warm for the best flavor. Warm salads release more aroma than cold ones. The basil is especially fragrant when it hits the warm beans.
Variations
- Add feta: Crumble 2 ounces of feta over the finished salad for a salty, creamy contrast. Not vegan, but very good.
- White bean swap: Use cannellini beans instead of chickpeas for a softer, creamier texture that absorbs the dressing more readily.
Ingredients
Directions
- You can use 1 teaspoon of dried basil instead of fresh Remove the ends from the beans and cut into 1 12 inch lengths. Cook in boiling water until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of oil in a large frypan over medium heat; cook the shallots until softened, about 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until liquid is reduced. Drain chickpeas and stir in chickpeas and green beans; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. In a serving bowl, combine the bean mixture with tomatoes, olives and basil. Whisk together the remaining oil with lemon juice and pour over salad; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Comments
