If you’d like, soak the beans overnight before cooking; it will help them cook more quickly and evenly. The key thing, though, is to be very gentle with the beans while they simmer so they don’t break apart in the process. This recipe is by Kelly Mariani from Scribe Winery in Sonoma, CA.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Beans
2
8
1
1
¼
Vinaigrette and Assembly
10
1
3
⅓
2
Preparation
Beans
Step 1
Tie together oregano, thyme, and bay leaves with kitchen twine. Combine beans, onion, carrot, and herbs in a medium pot. Pour in water to cover beans by about 4" and bring to a very gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce heat and cook at the barest of simmers, stirring hardly at all, until beans are creamy and tender at the center but not falling apart or mushy, about 1½ hours (this could take longer, depending on the beans). The key is to not agitate, which will help the beans maintain their shape. Remove pot from heat; season beans aggressively with salt. Gently stir in oil. Let cool. Drain beans; discard onion, carrot, and herbs.
Step 2
Do Ahead: Beans can be made 2 days ahead. Keep in liquid; cover and chill.
Vinaigrette and Assembly
Step 3
Purée cherry tomatoes in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in garlic, vinegar, and ⅓ cup oil; season with salt. Let sit 15–20 minutes, then pluck out garlic.
Step 4
Transfer drained beans to a medium bowl and add vinaigrette; toss gently to coat. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Step 5
Slice, halve, or quarter heirloom tomatoes and arrange on a platter or divide among individual plates. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Spoon beans along with plenty of vinaigrette over; top with basil and a few pinches of red pepper flakes.
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Reviews (12)
Back to TopWOW these are great! It's March so I didn't have any big heirloom tomatoes to use, so I just made this with the beans and vinaigrette, using Rancho Gordo scarlet runners. Just fabulous. Because I didn't have the tomatoes for the salad, the vinaigrette could have easily accommodated 3/4 lb of beans or maybe more, so if you're making this without the extra tomatoes like me, be sure to scale your beans up a bit. Definitely refrigerate these overnight to let the beans marinate, and then let them come back up to room temp before serving. They're awesome as-is, but would be over the top with a bit of goat cheese and baguette...
Katie
Chattanooga, TN
3/24/2022
Used Royal Corona beans from Rancho Gordo - plan to have these jumbo beans take a bit longer to cook than their Butter Bean cousins - but otherwise per recipe. Delightfully delicious and easy. Not to mention the "aaahhh..."roma of beans simmering is blood pressure lowering therapy.
dimmerswitch
Boise ID
9/29/2021
I don't usually like beans much, but the vinaigrette was so AMAZING! It made this a dish that I'll use regularly for my vegan guests, and my husband. I also just made the vinaigrette as a dressing for other vegetables and people were struck with how tasty it was. I have a small Ninja and it fitted perfectly in this easy-to-clean blender.
Lynn
Buffalo, NY
8/23/2021
SO yummy! I used BA's Pressure-Cooker Gigante Beans in Tomato Sauce recipe to make instant pot gigante beans for this recipe - highly recommend if you forget to soak beans overnight or just want something quicker. I also made croutons from a near-stale loaf of sourdough and threw those in to soak up all of the vinaigrette... highly recommend! A really lovely way to honor summer's best vegetable :)
California
8/13/2020
The vinaigrette is what makes this dish outstanding! DO add the vinaigrette to the beans and refrigerate at least 24 hrs. before serving to allow the flavor to penetrate the beans for the most enjoyable dining experience. I also added some crumbled feta cheese to add more protein and augment the taste as well. This is a recipe to keep handy as it needs to be made over and over again.
munch88
NYC
7/31/2020
This turned out delicious -- I added feta crumbles and didn't have red wine vinegar so subbed in white vinegar, and also subbed navy beans because that's what I had. That tomato vinaigrette is the star, it adds delicious flavor to the beans. The leftover beans store very well in the vinaigrette and get more flavorful the longer they sit. I got three meals out of this recipe, which was great for quick lunches on days two and three!
nrestmeyer
Sacramento
7/30/2020
I made this last year for a church picnic and it got rave reviews. It really does taste better the next day. I've been wanting to make it again, but could not find the recipe, but here it is. The tomato vinaigrette is awesome.
TomKay4834
Clarkston, MI
7/11/2020