Summer

Warm Salad with Cherry Tomato,Haricot Vert and Pancetta

by:
August 13, 2011
4
4 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This is a warm salad with mixed, ripe heirloom cherry tomatoes, haricot vert and pancetta. The salad cooks in a minimal amount of dressing and is served warm. Its good by itself with some hearty warm bread, you will want to soak up some of the delicious juices or it can accompany meat or fish. - sdebrango —sdebrango

Test Kitchen Notes

The haricots verts in this quick salad serve as a great backdrop to sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes and salty pancetta. I made this for a weekend lunch, and the combination of flavors and textures made for a very satisfying midday meal. The vinegar cut through the richness of the pancetta, mixing with the olive oil and tomato juices to create a wonderful dressing that was readily sopped up with a big chunk of bread. This dish is a great way to use late summer farmer's market produce, and a delicious one at that! - forester_lady —duclosbe1

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Ingredients
  • Prep work
  • 12 mixed color heirloom cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1/2 pound haricot vert cleaned and stem side only removed
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 pound pancetta cut into cubes (2 1 inch thick slices)
  • 1 tablespoon salt (to add to water to cook haricot vert)
  • Putting it all together
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Prep work
  2. Blanch the haricot vert in a large pot of salted water. Bring water to a boil add at least a tablespoon of salt and add the beans, cook for 5 minutes. While beans are cooking prepare an ice bath you want to add the beans to the ice bath to shock them, remove beans from boiling water and place directly into ice water, this will stop the cooking process and they will retain that beautiful green color. Let your beans get cold then remove to paper towels lay them out in a single layer and pat dry.
  3. Cut your tomatoes in half, mince the shallot and garlic and chop the panceltta into small cube size pieces.
  1. Putting it all together
  2. Heat skillet with the 2 tbs of olive oil, add the shallot cook until just starting to soften, add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan add the pancetta and brown, add the shallot and garlic back into the pan and add the 2 tbs of vinegar. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook just until the tomatoes start to soften and release some of their juices. Now add the haricot vert stir together and let cook for 3-5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning. I found I didn't need additional salt for my taste, but I did add pepper. Serve and enjoy.

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I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, am self taught learning as I go. I come from a large Italian family and food was at the center of almost every gathering. My grandfather made his own wine and I remember the barrels of wine in the cellar of my grandfathers home, I watched my mother and aunts making homemade pasta and remember how wonderful it was to sit down to a truly amazing dinner. Cooking for me is a way to express myself its my creative outlet. I enjoy making all types of food but especially enjoy baking, I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I share my home with my two dogs Izzy and Nando. I like to collect cookbooks and scour magazines and newspapers for recipes. I hope one day to organize them.

24 Reviews

Bevi December 28, 2014
Well Suzanne, for the 4th year in a row, this dish graced our Xmas Eve table. We made a double batch because the salad is even better the second day. And, I recommend making this in a wok for those who own one. It's one of those dishes that makes a winter tomato sing with flavor. Many thanks.
BavarianCook April 6, 2014
So quick and easy and very tasty! Thank you for a great recipe! This is a keeper.
BlueKaleRoad April 18, 2013
I remember this salad - I'm so glad you submitted it! What a marvelous combination of flavors.
LeBec F. April 17, 2013
TerrIFIC recipe! Love the textures and colors and the salty accent. I will def make it this summer and maybe include corn. Yum,and congrats on the win! and th you!
Bevi April 16, 2013
I am a HUGE fan of this salad. We have made it many times, and it has graced the holiday table 2 years in a row. But it's a great dish year round!
boulangere April 15, 2013
I remember this very well...it's a gorgeous keeper, for sure. And I love slightly warm salads.
Waverly June 3, 2012
OOO, this looks delicious!
Bevi June 1, 2012
Still one of my favorites! It will be on my July 4th table. It was such a huge hit with my family over the holidays, and easy to put together.
Bevi September 20, 2011
I made this tonight - it was great! I am thinking of serving this for Xmas holiday - perfect colors! I am adding a photo.
student E. September 4, 2011
what a delight to cook and to eat! i made this lovely salad on friday night (just in time to photograph it before the sunset!). the pancetta balances nicely with the greenness of the beans.
student E. September 5, 2011
the photo is the third one in the slideshow!
boulangere August 20, 2011
Mmmmmmm. Perfect combination.
Bevi August 20, 2011
This is an almost meatless Monday meal for me.
Kitty T. August 18, 2011
this is quite beautiful and sounds delightful. I can't wait to make it and I think that it looks like a perfect way to fill up without the carbs! thank you for sharing this!
BlueKaleRoad August 16, 2011
Oh yes, beans and tomatoes are meant to be together.
adelimapini August 16, 2011
Made this as a stand alone meal for lunch today. Delicious!
EmilyC August 15, 2011
Yum! I love green beans and tomatoes together -- and, well, I'm sure the pancetta sends it over the moon.
sexyLAMBCHOPx August 14, 2011
stunning - visually - no doubt these ingredients make for a mouth-watering side dish with steak. great recipe! saved...
sexyLAMBCHOPx August 14, 2011
You mentioned you are no-carb? I'm chubby and thin - back & fourth - so not healthy. At my age I've been "listening" to my body and its says lay off carbs. But man do I love bread & pasta. Been trying though. I'll let you know how your dish turns out when I make. I'm cooking today to submit not 1 but 2, lol, recipes for this weeks contest.
hardlikearmour August 13, 2011
Awesome! Nice, simple, lovely flavor combo.
boulangere August 13, 2011
Mmmmmmmm!
lapadia August 13, 2011
This is a delicious diet combination, sdebrango! Thanks...