Salad featuring beach beans

Vibrant Beach Bean Medley

Servings and Cooking Time

This delightful salad yields around 8 cups and takes approximately 45 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

• 2 large bell peppers (preferably one red and one yellow)
• 1 poblano pepper or a third bell pepper (I used orange)
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 pound of dried, cooked beans)
• 4 ounces of soppressata, sliced thinly (optional)
• 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 large clove with a teaspoon of oregano)
• 1 tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped (or 1.5 teaspoons of dried oregano)
• Freshly cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 to 2 cups of radicchio, cut into ribbons or torn into bite-sized pieces

Cooking Instructions

Start by preheating your broiler. Place the bell peppers on a lined baking sheet and broil them, turning occasionally, until they are charred all over, which should take about 6 to 8 minutes. If your broiler isn’t up to the task, roasting the peppers in a 400°F (200°C) oven for approximately 30 minutes works well too—just remember to turn them every 10 minutes for even blistering.

Once charred, let the peppers cool until they are safe to handle. In a large mixing bowl, combine your rinsed cannellini beans and the soppressata if you’re using it. When the peppers are manageable, split them open over the bowl to allow their flavorful juices to run into the beans. Peel away the charred skin and discard any seeds; rinsing them under cold water might help with this. Cut the peppers into thin strips and add them, along with any remaining juices, to the bean mixture.

Finely chop the garlic along with the rosemary and oregano, adding them to the bowl as well. Drizzle on the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice. Toss everything together with salt, pepper, and the fresh parsley until well combined. You can stir in the radicchio at this point or serve it on the side. The salad is delicious right away, but letting it rest for an hour or two enhances the flavors beautifully.

Storage Tips

If you have leftovers, the bean salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, making it an excellent option for meal prep.

Ingredient Notes

Feel free to swap out the canned cannellini beans for 1 pound of dried beans that have been cooked and cooled. You could substitute other kinds of small beans such as black beans, yellow-eyed peas, or chickpeas as well. I find adding garlic essential since roasted peppers just sing for it. For a nostalgic touch, I use dried oregano over fresh, and I skipped the rosemary due to my plant's scraggly state.

Although the original recipe suggests using two heads of radicchio, you can use less if you're concerned about bitterness; it tends to mellow out nicely without becoming soggy. Instead of a poblano, I opted for an extra sweet bell pepper. Although colorful peppers are not essential, they add visual appeal! You could certainly use jarred peppers in a pinch, but I highly recommend roasting fresh ones for the best flavor.

Lastly, remember that the soppressata is entirely optional. This salad stands strong on its own without it, so feel free to customize it to your liking—the versatility of bean salads is one of their best features!