Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables

Name: Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or as needed; Finely grated zest of half a lemon; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed; 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped; Salt; pepper; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained; Salt; pepper; Pinch red pepper flakes; 6 to 8 large, fat asparagus spears, snapped and peeled; 6 radishes; 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed; 1 small sweet spring onion, or a few scallions, finely chopped; Chopped parsley, basil or dill, for garnish

By David Tanis

Updated May 24, 2023

Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables — Robert Wright for The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(222)
Comments: Read comments

Like pasta, cannellini beans are a good staple to have on hand in a city kitchen pantry, and an hour of gentle simmering is usually all it takes. Obviously, they take a little advance planning. You can’t hurry a pot of beans, but you can cook them the day or even the morning before you need them. This a good habit to get into, as a small batch of freshly cooked beans is well worth the little effort it takes to get them cooked. (And by all means, use a real stovetop if you have one.) Don’t cave and go the canned-bean route — save those for emergencies or camping trips.

Featured in: Small Space, Big Flavor: First, Start the Beans

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Vinaigrette

3tablespoons lemon juice, or as needed
Finely grated zest of half a lemon
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
½teaspoon ground fennel seed
4 to 6anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
Salt
pepper
½cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad

2cups cooked cannellini beans, drained
Salt
pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
6 to 8large, fat asparagus spears, snapped and peeled
6radishes
1small fennel bulb, trimmed
1small sweet spring onion, or a few scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley, basil or dill, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Vinaigrette
1. Step 1
  To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Adjust lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Step 2
  To assemble the salad, place the beans in a large bowl. Pour half the vinaigrette over the beans and toss lightly. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
3. Step 3
  Using a sharp mandolin — and a hand guard — carefully slice the asparagus spears lengthwise to about the thickness of a penny. Slice the radishes and fennel to the same thickness. Lay the shaved vegetables and chopped onion or scallions in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and dress them very lightly with a few spoonfuls of vinaigrette, turning gently to coat.
4. Step 4
  Spoon the beans onto a serving platter or individual plates, then cover the beans with the shaved vegetables. Add a little more vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil or dill.

Ratings

4 out of 5

222 user ratings

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Comments

Laurel7 years ago

Tracking down cannellini beans to soak made all the difference. Rather than using a mandolin, I sliced the asparagus on the diagonal, and sliced other vegetables as thinly as possible. Quite tasty.

Randy7 years ago

Since you don't care for the flavor of fennel, think texture when choosing substitutes (something with some crunch): celery, carrot, seedless cucumber, jicama, French beans, snap peas, various peppers, etc. Sliced thinly or a short bias cut; Norfolk's suggestion of a "Y" peeler is less hassle than a mandolin. This is infinitely adaptable. Follow your taste preferences, just be sure to add crunch to contrast with the beans. I like to serve this on a bed of arugula.

Trish7 years ago

Try the anchovy paste in tubes. A little goes a long way but I use it all the time for depth of flavor and wee saltiness, but I, too, am not an anchovy fan. Worth a try.

Suzanne Ford1 week ago

Shave asparagus?? As if I could find any fat enough to slice. I may try a couple of pickling cucumbers that are just getting big enough to harvest. They should go well with fennel, radish, herbs, and vinaigrette.

KBR1 year ago

Top with shaved parmesan or comte cheese - great!

Annaka3 years ago

I often replace anchovies with preserved lemon. Salty, some umami.

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