Warm Bean, Tomato and Kale Salad

Add to Recipe Box

This recipe should be on all the best dressed lists because the dressing that covers the beans and tomatoes is fabulous. It takes ordinary ingredients like beans, tomato and kale and dresses them up like a Hollywood star on the red carpet. Why have ordinary when you can have extraordinary?

Kristy

Ingredients:

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans (or great northern)
• 3 anchovy fillets (you can substitute with worcestershire sauce* but it won’t taste the same)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
• 2 lemons, juiced and 1 tsp zest
• 1 large bunch kale, stemmed and torn or chopped

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wash and drain tomatoes well. Pat dry with paper towels.
   

   Place garlic, tomatoes and rosemary in baking dish

2. Place the tomatoes, garlic and rosemary in a 1 1/2 – 2 quart baking dish (you want the tomatoes to all fit in without overlapping.
3. Pour the olive oil over the top making sure the garlic and rosemary are sitting in the oil. The oil will be infused with their flavor while baking and used later for making the dressing.
4. Bake, uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until the skins split but the tomatoes are not mushy and still retain their shape.
5. Remove from the oven, discard the rosemary and carefully pour the oil into a medium sized skillet.
6. With the side of a knife or in a press mash the garlic and add to the oil along with the anchovies, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest.
7. Heat on low until the anchovies have dissolved and all the ingredients have blended together, about 1 minute.
8. Add the beans to the sauce and heat 1 minute or until the beans are warm.
9. Add the tomatoes and gently combine being careful not to break up the tomatoes. Season with additional pepper if desired.
10. Remove the mixture to a serving bowl or plate.
11. In the same skillet saute the kale until just wilted.
12. To serve, place 1/4 of the kale on a plate and top with 1/4 of the bean and tomato salad.

Nutritional Info:

Makes about 4 cups.

Serving size 1 cup.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 286.5, Cal. from Fat: 153.5, Total Fat: 17.5g, Sat. Fat: 3g, Carbs: 21.5g, Fiber: 8g, Sugars: 2.5g, Protein: 11.5g, Sodium: 160.5mg, Chol: 18mg

Notes:

*Be sure if you substitute the anchovies for worcestershire sauce that the sauce does not include unhealthy ingredients. I know a lot of people don’t like anchovies but when used in a sauce you don’t taste fish just a salty nutty flavor. Try it and see.