Shell Bean Salad With Tomatoes, Celery and Feta

This is a perfect end-of-summer farmers’ market dish. It makes a nutritious main salad or a great starter or side dish.

Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 ½ pounds shell beans (about 2 1/3 cups shelled)
• 1 onion, halved
• 7 cups water
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each of parsley and thyme, a sprig of sage and a bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup sliced or diced celery
• 1 pound tomatoes, cut in wedges, the wedges cut in half crosswise, or cut in large dice
• ½ cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
• ½ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, mint

For the dressing

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pureed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    245 calories; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 651 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 6 to 8

Preparation

For the salad

1. Combine the beans, onion, water, crushed garlic, bouquet garni and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, celery, tomatoes, feta and herbs. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt if desired.
3. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the salad, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

• Variations: You can serve this salad warm or cold. Heat the beans if they’ve cooled off, then toss with the other ingredients. You can also add some of the liquid from the beans if you want more marinade for the mixture (though the tomatoes will become juicy). Tuna, Bean and Tomato Salad: Add a drained can of tuna to the mix. Advance preparation: You can cook the beans up to three days in advance. The salad will hold for a few hours. Tomatoes will continue to release juice, but this just makes everything taste even better. Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

1 hour