KATZ Farm White Bean Salad with Celery, Fennel and Meyer Lemon
25-35 min
0 min, unless using dried beans
4-5
Salad
Napa, California
My Mother was often known as the “rabbit food woman” around my home long before fresh, crunchy vegetables became fashionable. My love of celery, radishes, fresh fennel and other crunchy foods can be directly attributed to her munching on them daily around our home. This wintery salad is an homage to those vegetables mixed together with the creamy, protein dense white beans that form the balance in this dish. It can be put together just as it is here, or add an additional protein; fresh salmon or tuna or maybe some sliced pork loin for an even more substantial vegetable based dinner during the winter months. Dressing the elements in advance, and generously, is what makes this dish pop, and the use of Meyer lemons adds a seasonal citrus slash! Serve on a platter family style. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Small shallot, finely chopped
- Small garlic clove, diced
- ¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice plus zest from the lemon
- ¼ cup KATZ Farm Sparkling Wine Vinegar
- Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/3 cup KATZ Farm EVOO
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups cooked white beans (I used Rancho Gordo Marcella Beans) or 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium fennel bulb (about 8 ounces), trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (or on a mandolin)
- 2 cups of thinly sliced celery from inner white stalks (use any pale leaves to chop up and add to salad)
- Small celery root (optional, but it makes a more interesting finished dish!)
- 4 or 5 Radicchio leaves
- 5 or 6 French Breakfast radishes or thinly sliced watermelon radish
- ¼ cup of chopped dill fonds or parley (can use both!)
Directions
Step 1
If using dried beans, rinse and cook them according to their package. This may take anywhere from 1-3 hours, but a pre-soak of 2-6 hours will lessen the cooking time.
Step 2
Put lemon juice, zest, vinegar, shallot and garlic in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil, slowly until thickened. Set dressing aside for at least 10 minutes.
Step 3
Place cooked beans in a bowl and add half the dressing and soak in for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4
Add thinly sliced celery and fennel to bowl with beans, and toss. Slice radicchio leaves into thin shards and add to bowl. If you are using celery root, peel off skin and slice into thin rounds by hand or with mandolin. Then slice in julienne strips and add to bowl. Pour on the rest of dressing immediately and check for season. Add chopped dill/parsley and celery leaves, and toss and serve on platter.
Step 5
Enjoy!