Warm Bean Salad with Gardyn Greens and Pine Nut Pesto

Published Jan 22, 2022

This dish draws on Italian roots with warm white beans coupled with a peppy pesto. Drizzled over an abundance of greens, it’s a soothing salad perfect for the colder months. You’ll want a salad bowl big enough for a large lunch or a side dish (it works great as either).

Image for the recipe of a Warm Bean Salad with Gardyn Greens and Pine Nut Pesto

Ingredients

For the beans:

1 cup large lima beans

1 bay leaf

For the Pesto:

2 cups Gardyn greens, such as arugula, breen, or green mustard

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

3 cups Gardyn greens, such as American mustard, arugula, breen, buttercrunch, butterhead, green mustard, cardinale, endive, kale, matilda, monte carlo, romaine, red sails, or Rouge D’hiver

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon pine nuts for garnish (optional)

A few shavings of Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Freshly cracked pepper

Pinch of flaky salt

Showing Pesto and ingredients

Instructions

  1. To cook the beans, heat plenty of water in a medium pot. Add the beans and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. The beans should be soft but not falling apart. Drain in a colander, discard the bay leaf and set aside.
  2. To make the pesto: Place your greens, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the ingredients are finely chopped. While the machine is running, slowly pour in the olive oil. 
  3. To assemble the salad: Re-warm the beans with a bit of oil in a small pan. Mix the greens with the shallot and add the warm beans. Transfer to the bowl and finish with a few cracks of pepper, a sprinkle of flaky salt, pine nuts, and cheese shavings. Drizzle the pesto over top and dive right in. 

The following day, warm the leftover beans and toss with some leftover pesto. Spoon over a slice of toasted bread for a scrumptious snack.