Large White Bean, Tuna and Spinach Salad

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Rinse the beans and combine with the water in a soup pot. Add the halved onion, the crushed garlic cloves, the bay leaf and the sage leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, add salt to taste, cover and boil very gently for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the beans are tender (sometimes they take longer, about 2 hours; it depends in part on the age of the beans). Remove from the heat. Set a colander over a bowl and drain the beans. Discard the bay leaf, onion, garlic cloves and sage. Some of the beans will have slipped out of their skins and fallen apart, but most should be intact. The broth can be used for a soup or pasta sauce.

2. Step 2

   Meanwhile, prepare the spinach and the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, minced or puréed garlic, mustard, salt to taste and the olive oil.

3. Step 3

   In a large bowl, gently toss together the beans and the tuna. Don’t worry if some of the lima beans fall apart. Add the mint, half the chives and half the dressing and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Step 4

   Toss the spinach with the remaining dressing. Line a platter or wide bowl with the spinach, top with the tuna, and sprinkle the remaining chives over the top. Garnish with red onions and black olives if desired, and serve.