Bean and Ham Salad

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

It has been proven through experience that Spanish red wine seems to have been deliberately created for this salad — but this is one of those cases where it's best to conduct your own experiments.

Ingredients

White Beans - ½ can
Chinese green beans - 1.8 oz
Marinated cherries - 5.3 oz
Ham - 3.5 oz
Eel - ½ bunch
Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
Meyer Lemon Juice - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

First of all, the white beans should be soaked: most varieties need this to speed up and balance the cooking process, so soak the dried beans in water at least four hours in advance. After that, drain the old water, add enough fresh water, and bring to a simmer — this will take about an hour and a half, and it's best to salt the beans at the very end.

Step 2

While the beans are cooking, prepare the other salad ingredients. In a separate pot filled with boiling salted water, blanch the green beans (asparagus can be used instead) for a few minutes, then drain the water and transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water — this will help them stay bright green. Once slightly cooled, chop the green beans into small pieces, and also slice the ham or other cured ham into thin strips, and halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes.

Step 3

When the white beans are ready (be sure to check their taste), drain them in a colander. Without letting the beans cool completely, transfer them to a bowl and add the other salad ingredients. Whisk the seasoned lemon juice with olive oil using a fork, dress the salad, and mix well. Serve the beans on plates garnished with lettuce leaves.