Try this Ricotta and White Bean Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- seasalt
- 400 g cannellini beans ((or white beans 1 can))
- 1 red onion (small)
- 30 g black olived (pitted and halved)
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (leaves only)
- 1-2 red chili (small and sliced)
- 125 g cherry tomatoes (halved)
- black pepper (cracked)
- 100 g ricotta (fresh)
- Carbohydrate 0.0735126089231252 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 12.9 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 1.781232 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (676g)
- Sodium 0.653229080231856 mg
- Sugar 0.0735126089231252 g
- Trans Fat 0.349332 g
- Calories 116 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the beans, onion, olives, parsley, chilli, tomato, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss gently to combine.
- Divide between serving plates and top with fresh ricotta.
- Combine the oil and vinegar and spoon over the salad to serve.
Swapping the fresh cow milk ricotta for a drained, pressed block of extra firm tofu seasoned with lemon zest and flaky sea salt completely alters the dish, shifting it from a dairy-rich presentation to a fully vegan plate without sacrificing the contrasting creamy texture that anchors the combination. Legumes like cannellini beans demand careful attention to their starch content, meaning that rinsing canned beans thoroughly under cold running water removes the viscous canning liquid that otherwise muddies the clean emulsion of olive oil and red wine vinegar. When working with nightshades and alliums, slicing the red onion into paper-thin half-moons and soaking them in ice water for precisely ten minutes tames their aggressive sulfur compounds while preserving a crisp crunch that stands up to the dense, starchy bulk of the beans.
Dairy-free adaptations require careful selection of alternative fats to mimic the mouthfeel of fresh whey cheese, whereas nut-based pestos or tahini drizzles offer viable richness when dairy must be avoided entirely. Mediterranean traditions often rely on similar pantry-stable combinations of pulses, cured olives, and acid, utilizing pantry staples that historically sustained coastal communities through lean winter months without requiring refrigeration. Balancing the high sodium content of cured black olives requires adjusting the added sea salt downwards until all components are thoroughly tossed and allowed to rest for at least fifteen minutes so the flavors meld properly.
Acidity acts as a critical structural component in bean salads, cutting through the dense plant proteins and preventing the olive oil from tasting heavy on the palate. Whisking the extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar in a separate small bowl before application ensures a uniform distribution of acid across every individual bean and tomato half. Cherry tomatoes should be room temperature rather than chilled from the refrigerator, as cold storage degrades their cell walls and mutes their natural sugars, which are necessary to balance the heat from the fresh red chilies.
Textural contrast relies heavily on keeping the herb leaves intact rather than mincing them into a paste, allowing the flat leaf parsley to provide fresh aromatic bursts alongside the briny bite of the pitted olives. Leftovers keep adequately in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours, though the tomatoes will soften further and release additional moisture into the base of the bowl. Bringing the dish back to ambient temperature before serving revives the aromatic qualities of the olive oil, which solidifies slightly when chilled below 20 degrees Celsius.
