Accounting for Taste

Have a potluck or picnic coming up? Then this simple salad is a perfect choice because it travels well and can be made ahead. It makes a bright, tangy companion to grilled meat or fish. Marinating the red onions and garlic in the vinaigrette for 15 minutes not only diffuses their flavor but also softens their bite.

The salad is also supremely versatile, and can be dressed up with any soft herb like basil, tarragon or mint, and chile, in almost any form. We doubled the recipe for a recent picnic and practically every morsel disappeared.

While we had never tried the SweetPops brand of grape tomatoes, they were so sweet and delicious. Make sure you use Parmesan shavings as opposed to grated parm.

Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 5 min + 15 min marinating
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
¾ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
¾ cup very thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 ½ tsp. minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
2 pints cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup shaved Parmesan (about 2 ounces)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the red onion and garlic and set the dressing aside to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Place the tomatoes, white beans and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, then gently fold in the Parmesan.
Serve at room temperature using a slotted spoon.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Lidey Heuck for NYTimes Cooking