Quick and Easy

White Bean Salad with Tarragon

June 25, 2013
4
7 Ratings
  • Serves 2 to 4
Author Notes

Tell us about your recipe. —Marian Bull

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups white beans (yes, you can use canned)
  • 1/4 cup tarragon, finely chopped (one medium-sized bunch)
  • 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion, mandolined in half moons
  • 4 radishes (I used breakfast), sliced in half moons
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • 1 generous sprinkle of flaky salt
Directions
  1. Dump beans, tarragon, parsley, onion, and radishes into a bowl.
  2. Whisk together your olive oil and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Toss with other ingredients.
  3. Finish with flaky salt, and serve with a crusty loaf of bread.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Jessica Caplan Sabharwal
    Jessica Caplan Sabharwal
  • Kate
    Kate
  • robin lewis
    robin lewis
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
  • Scott Basye
    Scott Basye
Marian Bull

Recipe by: Marian Bull

writer

18 Reviews

cpc July 1, 2019
This was really good. I chopped the onions instead of leaving them in slices. I didn’t have radishes so I added a couple spoonfuls of pickled celery from Smitten Kitchen’s egg salad with pickled celery recipe. I highly recommend that. I think this would also be good with tuna mixed in as a lunch or light dinner option .
 
Jessica C. June 20, 2019
Can you make this a day ahead, or is it best made the day of?
 
cpc July 1, 2019
I think this would be fine a day ahead. You could always add the olive oiljust before serving
 
Paula May 8, 2019
The emperor was wearing no clothes. I did not like this recipe. There's too many onions and they slap you in the face. That combination of food wasn't right.
 
Sal July 15, 2018
Fantastic recipe! I followed it closely, using Rancho Gordo beans (Alubia Blanca) which I'd just received in the mail. I see Robin Lewis used them in preparing this three years ago :) Everything balances so well between the spice of the onions and radish, the tart of the lemon and parsley, and the depth of the tarragon and beans. We served it as a side dish with a rustic ratatouille along with a green salad and a mushroom rice dish, loosely following the "Array of Summery Salads" menu here:
http://chezbonnefemme.com/what-do-i-serve-with-ratatouille-five-amazing-answers/
 
Kate June 25, 2016
Terrific salad. I didn't have radishes so I subbed some roughly sliced arugula so replicate flavors. Admittedly, the radishes would have added nice texture. Nonetheless, it's one more reason to keep a can of cannelini beans in the pantry. The tarragon flavor is unexpectedly delightful.
 
robin L. August 7, 2015
p.s. this lovely lemon/olive oil dressing is very versatile...i like it on my grain bowls (per Leslie Stevens' articles) too. i've had a jar of it on my counter for about a week (i was out of town). how long can i keep this, do you think (in or out of the fridge)?
 
robin L. July 20, 2015
This was THE most tasty, light salad. Everyone loved it. It was great alone, along side grilled steak and chicken but also really lovely w/the crusty crunchy bread. I used Rancho Gordo's Alubia Blanca beans. I will definitely make this again.
 
Marian B. July 20, 2015
so happy to hear this! :)
 
Carrie B. February 23, 2014
Delicious and easy!
 
EmilyC September 27, 2013
I made this recently and loved it. I did a mishmash of your dressing and the one from Amanda's radish and pecan grain salad. It was a perfect side to a gloriously fatty, succulent sugar-salt rubbed pork shoulder that my husband smoked.
 
Scott B. July 4, 2013
Hmm..such simplicity. I would use dried really high quality beans but it sounds really good.
 
Marian B. July 10, 2013
Agreed that dried beans are best! But white beans are my favorite canned variety -- they don't have that gross taste that canned black beans get.
 
JanetFL June 26, 2013
Love tarragon and it grows like a weed in my garden! Thank you for another delicious way to use it.
 
Marian B. July 10, 2013
Oh, you're so lucky! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
 
bailboy June 26, 2013
Sounds delicious but I really am not a huge fan of tarragon. What other herb would be just as good?
 
alexblack June 28, 2013
Try flat parsley :)
 
Marian B. July 10, 2013
Parsley would be great! Or a mix of whatever you have, really.