haricot beans with slow-roasted tomatoes & buffalo mozzarella salad

The classic combination of tomato, basil and mozzarella is reimagined into a light but sustaining salad with haricot beans. You can vary the herbs with whatever soft herbs you have at hand – mint would be wonderful too. The slow roasted tomatoes are what gives this salad a real flavour hit, so take your time roasting them to bring out their natural sweetness.

Author

Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Servings

4

Ingredients

• 400g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp Mount Zero Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 200g haricot beans, soaked overnight
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 sprig of fresh sage
• 1 shallot, halved
• 2 balls of buffalo mozzarella
• Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• Large handful each of basil and parsley, roughly chopped
• 80g raw almonds
• 60ml (¼ cup) Mount Zero Lemon Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 tbsp Mount Zero Red Wine Vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
2. Arrange the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cut side up. Drizzle with the olive oil, scatter over the leaves from the thyme and a generous sprinkling of sea salt.
3. Roast the tomatoes until they are soft and beginning to caramelise, around 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, drain the beans which have been soaking overnight and rinse them under cold water. Place in a large pot along with the bay leaves, sage and shallot and cover with plenty of cold water.
5. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender, around 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
6. For the dressing, pound the garlic and herbs with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Now add in the almonds and continue to pound them until you have a rough paste. Alternatively, you can pulse all ingredients together in a food processor with a couple of ice cubes to keep it from getting warm from the motor.
7. Drizzle in the lemon olive oil and vinegar and stir to combine. It should be thick but not stiff. Check for seasoning and taste for acidity, adding more vinegar if needed. Set aside.  
8. In a large bowl, mix the beans together with slow-roasted tomatoes and torn mozzarella. Add in the almond and herb mixture and mix well so that everything is well coated. Season to taste and serve.