Flageolet bean salad with fennel, orange, and tapenade toasts

Indulge in a flavorful flageolet bean salad featuring zesty orange, crisp fennel, and savory tapenade toasts. A culinary delight bursting with fresh, vibrant taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried green flageolet beans, or substitute white kidney beans
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1-2 oranges
• 1 lemon
• 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, divided
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 4 handfuls mixed salad greens
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 baguette

Instructions:

1. Clean the beans and place them in a slow cooker or pot with 4 cups of water. Wash the fennel bulb and remove the stalks. Keep the bulb and a handful of the most delicate fronds aside. Arrange the remaining stalks and fronds over the beans. Cook the beans on low heat for approximately 3 hours, stirring occasionally until they are soft but still slightly firm (this may take less time on the stovetop and may require more water). Discard the fennel stalks and season with salt. Take out 2 cups of cooked beans for the salad and set aside the rest for another dish.
2. Begin by making the tapenade. Heat the garlic clove in a dry, hot pan until it is charred in spots on the outside and tender and aromatic. In a food processor, blend the olives, capers, garlic clove, reserved fennel fronds, parsley, 1 tsp of lemon and orange zest each, red pepper flakes, and 3 Tbsp olive oil until you get a coarse, chunky paste.
3. Now, assemble the bean salad. Slice the fennel bulb thinly. Peel the orange, slice, and quarter each piece. Whisk together mustard, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooked beans, fennel, and orange slices and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
4. Next, prepare the toasts. Preheat the broiler. Cut 8 slices from the baguette and spread a generous amount of tapenade on each slice. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large oven-proof pan, like a cast iron skillet. Place the toasts in the pan and cook for about a minute until they begin to smell toasted. Transfer the pan under the broiler and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the toasts are lightly crisped around the edges. Remove from the broiler before they burn.
5. For the salad, whisk together 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the salad greens and toss until they are evenly coated. Divide the dressed greens onto 4 plates, top with the bean salad, and finish with the tapenade toasts.
6. If you plan to serve this at a picnic, pack the bean salad, the toasts, the undressed greens (in a lidded container), and the dressing separately. When ready to eat, pour the dressing over the greens, cover the container, and shake well. Plate the greens and add the beans and toasts on top.

Summary:

• Calories: 3162 kcal
• Fat: 113 g
• Protein: 127 g
• Carbs: 431 g
• Potassium: 7050 mg
• Magnesium: 692 mg