If you are looking for a flavorful, casual meal that puts creamy white beans at the fore, and gets to the table as quickly as possible, then this Mediterranean-inspired recipe from America’s Test Kitchen is for you. To pull it off, pair the beans with sweet cherry tomatoes or homegrown (or local) slicing tomatoes, sharp red onion, and meaty Spanish chorizo.
Quickly marinating the tomatoes and onion in sherry vinegar (don’t substitute any other vinegar) while the chorizo cooks helps bring out the tomatoes’ sweetness and softens the onion. Cooking the beans in the same oil used to crisp the chorizo imbues the dish with bold, meaty flavor, and adding smoked paprika amps up the smokiness of the dish.
A whole cup of coarsely chopped parsley, usually relegated to a garnish, elevates it to key ingredient status; it contributed freshness and color. We just cut it fresh from our herb garden. Adding water to the skillet before serving loosens everything up, and a final addition of extra-virgin olive oil adds glossiness.
There are many types of “Spanish style chorizo.” It can be both cured (hard like salami) and uncured (soft). Each is of a different texture, flavor and used in different ways. The recipe doesn’t specify cured or uncured chorizo, so we made it with uncured, fully-cooked chorizo which is what we had on hand. And we doubled the amount from 6 to 12 ounces.
Instead of purchasing grape tomatoes, we used our homegrown slicing tomatoes.
NOTE: *If using cured chorizo, reduce the smoked paprika to ¼ teaspoon.
White Beans and Chorizo with Quick Marinated Tomatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ⅛ tsp. plus ½ tsp. table salt, divided
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 12 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered; OR slicing tomatoes chopped
- 1 small red onion, quartered and sliced thin
- 12 oz. uncured* Spanish-style chorizo sausage, links quartered, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄2 tsp. smoked paprika
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Whisk 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in medium bowl. Add 12 ounces quartered cherry tomatoes and ½ thinly sliced red onion, tossing to coat; set aside to marinate while cooking chorizo and beans.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 6 ounces Spanish-style chorizo (cut into ½-inch pieces) and cook until evenly browned and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
- Add 2 (15-ounce) cans rinsed cannellini beans, 3 minced garlic cloves, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, and remaining ½ teaspoon table salt to fat left in skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook until beans are warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off heat, add ¼ cup water to skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Add chorizo, tomato-onion mixture, 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley, and remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, stirring to combine. Serve with crusty bread.
Adapted from a recipe for America’s Test Kitchen
Accounting for Taste 