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Fresh Shelling Bean and Tomato Salad

A versatile and tasty recipe that’s quick to prepare and easy to enjoy.

Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad , Others

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450) shelled fresh shelling beans (weight is based on weight after shelling)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • fresh tomatoes
  • fresh basil

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Tear open the bean pods and pluck out the beans. A pound (450g) of beans will give you enough for about 4 people.
  2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and drop the beans in. Let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste one (careful, they're hot!). I like my just slightly firm, but not too crunchy. Most fresh shelling beans cook in 20 to 25 minutes. When done, drain them and transfer them to a bowl. Drizzle the warm beans with extra-virgin olive oil and season them with a little salt. Another option is to add walnut or hazelnut oil, the latter being really, really good. I often add a minced shallot or two, which lends a nice flavor to the beans. (Garlic is good as well, but I'd skip that if using a nut oil.)
  3. At this point, you can either chill the beans to use later or use them immediately. (The beans will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.) If using them later, let come to room temperature before using.
  4. For the salad, dice some fresh tomatoes and mix them with the beans along with some chopped fresh herbs. Basil, tarragon, parsley or chives, are some of my favorites. I prefer not to do a mix, but you could.Then, feel free to add any of the following: Fresh corn kernels, black or green olives, and/or feta cheese. Toss everything together and taste. It may need a splash of vinegar, a little more olive oil, more salt, some black pepper.
  5. Quarter some tomatoes, coarsely chop some fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley, and toss them with the beans. Taste for salt and seasonings.

Notes

  • Serving: I enjoy this for lunch on its own, but to make it a more complete meal, serve it alongside roast chicken or quarter some hard-cooked eggs and drape anchovies over them. It goes lovely with grilled fish, or made a platter of charcuterie (cold cuts) and cheese...and have some good bread to sop everything up.
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