Red Beans with Chives and Ricotta Salata
Ricotta salata cheese is made from sheep's milk and is similar to feta but with a creamier consistency. It is slightly sweet in flavor and makes a nice complement to the vegetables and beans in this colorful salad.
When assembling this for serving, toss it gently. You want to maintain the shape of the individual components because together they are interesting, and appealing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red kidney beans picked over
- 1 shallot
- 4 or 5 whole cloves
- 3 or 4 thyme sprigs plus ½ teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 medium Yukon gold potato
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup snipped chives
- 2 ounces ricotta salata cheese
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Instructions
- Soak the beans in water to cover overnight. The next day, drain them. Peel the shallot and stud it with the cloves.
- In a large saucepan, combine the beans, shallot, cloves, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf; add water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam on the surface, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until tender. Drain the beans in a colander, and remove the shallot, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Let cool.
- Peel, trim, and cut the onion into ½-inch dice. Cut the celery and carrot into ½-inch dice. Peel and cut the potato in the same manner.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot, and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add the diced potato. Lower the heat, add the paprika, cumin, and chopped thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden and cooked through,
- about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the ricotta salata into ½-inch dice.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the beans with the potato mixture, tossing gently to combine. Add the ricotta salata and chives and toss once more. Drizzle the sherry vinegar over the salad, and serve.