I honestly had no idea how this recipe was going to turn out. I saw pictures of it and I wondered if there would simply be too many beans in a bowl to be any good. I’ve eaten too many beans before and they sort of all melded into one another. There wasn’t that distinction I enjoy. Needless to say, I was somewhat nervous about spending any time on this.
Well, as it turns out, this is a pretty great recipe. Because I included three different types of traditional beans along with some green beans, there was a lot of isolation among those primary ingredients. That’s all well and fine, but it’s the flavor that impressed me the most. The way this dish is prepared is like this; first, some onions and garlic are softened in a skillet with some olive oil. Then, those ingredients are further flavored with basil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the beans are finally added, everything is tossed together for a rather delicious salad. I was impressed by the simplicity of it as well as the ease of preparation.
Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
1 16-Ounce Can White Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
1 16-Ounce Can White Cannellini Beans, Rinsed
1 16-Ounce Can Red Kidney Beans, Rinsed
1/2 Pound Green Beans, Cut into 2-Inch Pieces
1 Cup Black Olives, Cut in Half
1 Sweet Onion, Diced
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Carlo Bernasconi and Christian Teubner for their wonderful resource called The Complete Italian Cookbook. I got this recipe from it and it’s out of this world.
Cook the Green Beans
Fill a large pot about half way with water. Add one tablespoon salt to the pot and bring the water to a boil. When boiling, add the green beans to the water and keep them there for five minutes. After this time, they should be bright green. Strain the contents of the pot through a colander and then run the beans under cold water to stop them from cooking.
Soften the Onion
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is to temperature, add the olive oil to it. Then, add the onion and garlic. Let these ingredients simmer for about five minutes, just until they’re soft. The goal isn’t to brown them, but to merely soften them.
After that, add in the olives, lemon juice, vinegar, basil, remaining salt and black pepper. Stir everything together well.
Combine All Ingredients
Finally, add all of the beans to the skillet and turn off the heat. Stir all the ingredients together and let them sit for a few minutes so the flavors have enough time to absorb into everything. Serve and enjoy!
The Final Four Bean Salad
I love salads like this because they’re big, easy to make and they taste great. If you give this recipe a try, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading!
Leave a Reply