Recipe: Chris Cosentino’s Bean & Radish Salad

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This week on Good Food we’ll hear from the king of pig, Chef Chris Cosentino. His new book Beginnings has a startling amount of vegetables in it. Evan calls it “the freshest take on anti-pasti” she’s seen in years. Keep reading for his Bean & Radish Salad recipe…

Bean & Radish Salad

From Chris Cosentino’s Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal

This is not your grandmother’s three-bean salad!  Look on this recipe as  a template that you can fashion with as many different types of beans  as  you like.  I think that the more colors and textures you have the better. I especially like the crispiness of the radish mixed with the creaminess of the cannellini  beans.

Serves 10

CANNELLINI BEANS

1 1/2  cups (101/2  oz/330 g) dried cannellini beans

1 yellow onion

1 celery rib, halved

1 carrot

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb (500 g) mixed pole beans, such as Romano, yellow and purple wax, Dragon Tongue, and Blue Lake

8 red radishes, trimmed and cut into slices 1/4  inch (6 mm) thick

1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings

Zinfandel Vinaigrette
(page 160)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3  cup (1/3  oz/10 g) small fresh basil leaves, preferably Piccolo Fino Verde

Pick over the beans, discarding any  grit or misshapen beans. Rinse the beans under cold running water, transfer to a large pot, add water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm),  and let stand for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Drain  the beans and return them to the pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm).  Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 2 hours. The timing will depend on the age of the beans.

Remove from  the heat and let the cannellini beans cool  in the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the onion, celery, and carrot. Season the beans with salt and pepper and a big splash of olive oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Have ready a large bowl of salted ice water. Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pole beans and cook until tender-crisp, about
2 minutes. Drain  immediately and immerse in the ice water to cool  completely. Drain  and pat dry.

Drain  the cannellini beans well, transfer to a large bowl, and add the pole beans, radishes, and onion. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, and toss to mix. Sprinkle in the basil and taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Divide among chilled individual plates and serve.