Cannellini bean herb salad with caper and sultana dressing
Louise Robinson offers two options for cooking cannellini beans sous vide – one of which uses the ingenious method of cooking them in a jar in the water bath. The beans are then served in a simple broccoli, asparagus and caper salad – a deliciously light lunch or midweek meal idea for spring and summer.
Ingredients
Cannellini beans
- 200g of dried cannellini beans
- 1 1/2 tbsp of sea salt
- 500g of water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 garlic clove , minced
For the salad
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 200g of tenderstem broccoli , cut into 3cm pieces
- 200g of asparagus spears , woody ends removed
- 2 shallots , peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp of nonpareille capers
- 3 tbsp of sultanas
- 2 tbsp of sherry vinegar
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- 1 handful of mint leaves
- 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Equipment
- Water bath
- 1l Kilner jar, or vacuum bags and a chamber sealer
Method
1
Place the dried beans in a bowl cover with plenty of cold water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover and place in the fridge overnight to soak
2
Once soaked, you can either cook the beans in a jar sealed jar or in vacuum bags sealed with a chamber sealer
3
Option 1: Drain and rinse the beans in cold water and add them to a 1l screw-top Kilner jar. Add 500ml water, the bay leaves, thyme and garlic clove and half a teaspoon of salt. Screw the lid on firmly, taking care not to over tighten. Cook sous vide at 92°C for 3–4 hours (check after 3 hours), or until the beans are cooked
4
Option 2: Drain and rinse the beans in cold water and add them to a vacuum pouch with 500ml water, the bay leaves, thyme and garlic clove and half a teaspoon of salt. Seal in a vacuum chamber and cook sous vide at 92°C for 3–4 hours, or until the beans are cooked
5
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
6
Drain the beans and remove the bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Add the beans to large baking tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss the beans to coat them thoroughly. Place in the oven for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden, stirring them half way through. Remove from the oven and set aside
7
While the beans are roasting, steam the broccoli and asparagus for 3 minutes, until just cooked, but still firm and green. Refresh in a bowl of iced water and leave on kitchen paper to drain
8
Meanwhile take a small frying pan and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped shallots and fry gently for 5 minutes, before adding the capers and sultanas. Cook for a further 3–5 minutes, stirring continually until the shallots are golden. Add the sherry vinegar and remove from the heat
9
Add the beans, steamed asparagus, broccoli and herbs to a bowl, toss with the dressing and serve immediately
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Cannellini bean herb salad with caper and sultana dressing
