Blanched Green, White Bean, Tomato Salad

Def feeling over heavy, winter comfort food. It’s not so comforting when you start to feel like you’ve hibernated with the carbs a bit too much (#me). In an effort to bring a fresh summer salad feel to the middle of this cold season, I put this together in the supermarket isle. Blanching veggies is a great way to keep them crisp, bright green, and light while cooked. Meaning, no prior roasting with oil. Blanching is a great cooking technique; fill a large pot with slightly salted water, put vegetables in when the water reaches a boil, leave it for 3 to 4 minutes, then quickly transfer the vegetables to an ice bath. I find that part fun, which could indicate that I need to get out more. An ice bath is a large bowl filled with a nice amount of ice and cold water. It stops the cooking process, thus retaining a bite and vibrant crispness. This is a snap to put together. It’s so fresh, delicious, and doesn’t get healthier. The white beans add a nice pop of color and another dimension of texture and natural flavor. As far as I’m concerned fresh dill is always a winner, so there’s tons of it here.

Ingredients:

3 boxes of cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise.

Two heads of fresh broccoli florets.

Two bunches of asparagus chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces.

A large bunch of chopped fresh dill.

A can of cannellini beans rinsed and drained.

Dressing:

Half a cup cup each fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

3 tbsp tarragon vinegar.

A tsp of salt and half a tsp pepper, adding a bit more to taste if needed.

Directions:

Blanche the broccoli in a large pot of boiling, salted water for four minutes. Have ice bath ready. Transfer and submerge immediately. Use a large slotted spoon. Don’t discard the water since you’ll next use it to blanche the asparagus for 3 minutes. If the asparagus is the thick kind you’ll need four minutes as well. Repeat ice bath process.

Drain both vegetables in a colander when they’re cold. Let air dry or pat dry with paper towels. When ready, mix all the veggies with the beans and dill, followed by the dressing. Let it absorb the flavors at least twenty minutes before serving. If serving the next day, combine it all fresh so that the dressing doesn’t diminish the bright green color. Your leftovers will still be delicious the next day, just less .