Summer Bean and Tomato Salad

We love to mix up this salad when our garden overflows with beans or we’ve received a big bag in our weekly delivery from the farm.  We vary the ingredients depending on what else is ready for harvest—tomatoes of all sorts, perhaps a sweet bell pepper.  A variety of fresh herbs are always nice—basil, dill, parsley or a combination—if you don’t have arugula.  A teaspoon of perky Dijon mustard added to the dressing is wonderful too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound string beans, ends snapped off
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ bell pepper, cubed
  • 2-3 cups pear or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup canned cannellini or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 large handfuls arugula (or other fresh herbs), roughly chopped

Method:

  1. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to boil.  Add the wax beans and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse in cool water.  Cool to room temperature.
  2. Whisk together oil, vinegar and garlic, plus salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Put onion, pepper, tomato and olives into a bowl and toss with dressing to coat.  Add cooled wax beans and toss again.
  4. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
  5. Add arugula (or fresh herbs) just before serving, and toss to coat.  Add more dressing if needed and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
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