This salad. This salad sings to you.
The intensity of the herbs and arugula pair perfectly with the subtlety of the beans and chicken. I have cooked it four times since my discovery and my kids loved it too. I discovered this recipe in the Wall Street Journal. My husband and I decided we needed to look and act more intelligent, so we bought ourselves the Wall Street Journal print edition. We used to look at our phones for the news, but my problem was I’d usually end up distracted by social media when I wanted to be reading the news. So, we bought the print edition and I feel about ten years older than I am when I walk outside, curse the paper boy who can’t get the paper past our front sidewalk and pick up my paper to read while eating breakfast. I like being more informed about the world. But, the total bonus is the recipes in the personal section. My first attempt at one of these famous chef recipes was a total win. This salad is as good as rabbit food gets. There are all these herbs: paprika, rosemary, thyme and tarragon and I doubted that they would all go together with the spiciness of the arugula, but Ms. Jessica Koslow owns a restaurant and knows a thing or two about recipe creation and this recipe is refreshing, revitalizing and just plain delicious. I hope you’ll try it.
The recipe calls for shelling beans which I think would be simply fantastic. The problem was that there were no fresh shelling beans within a 25 mile radius of my house, and I so wanted to try this recipe that I did something a little blasphemous. I used canned beans. And, the result was still so yummy that I say if you can’t find shelling beans, or want something bright and vibrant in the winter, give the canned beans a try. If you can find fresh shelling beans, then please brag in the comments with how delicious your salad was.
I used cherry tomatoes when I first made this salad, but used my garden tomatoes when they were at there peak. Both worked great. There is no better kitchen smell than tomatoes caramelizing in the oven.
2 cups fresh shelling beans (or 1 can great white northern beans)
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
sea salt
ground pepper
2 cups tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1/2 shallot, finely diced
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat, skin discarded
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
4 cups arugula
Heat the oven to 425 º.
1. First step is preparing the beans. The shelling beans require a bit more work, but if you can get your hands on them, it’s worth it.
If you are using shelling beans: Add beans to a medium pot filled halfway up with water. Set pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until they are tender, for about 30 minutes. Drain the beans and toss to dry. Add beans to a large bowl. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
If you are using canned beans: Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Toss the beans to dry. Add beans to a large bowl. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
2. Meanwhile on a large cooking sheet, toss the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the tomatoes in the 425º oven for 20 minutes or until they are caramelized and wrinkled, about 20-25 minutes.
3. Place the shallots in a medium salad bowl and cover with the remaining 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
4. Toss the chicken into a bowl with the seasoned beans. Add the roasted tomatoes, pan drippings, tarragon and scallions. Mix until combined and add lemon juice to taste. I used the whole lemon.
5. Add the arugula to the salad bowl and toss with the vinegar and shallots.
6. Plate the salad. Place about one cup of the arugula on a plate and add 1/4th of the chicken salad on top.
- 2 cups fresh shelling beans (or 1 can great white northern beans)
- 2½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- sea salt
- ground pepper
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
- 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
- ½ shallot, finely diced
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat, skin discarded
- 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cups arugula
- Heat the oven to 425 º.
- First step is preparing the beans. The shelling beans require a bit more work, but if you can get your hands on them, it's worth it.
- If you are using shelling beans: Add beans to a medium pot filled halfway up with water. Set pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until they are tender, for about 30 minutes. Drain the beans and toss to dry. Add beans to a large bowl. Toss with 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1½ teaspoons of smoked paprika.
- If you are using canned beans: Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Toss the beans to dry. Add beans to a large bowl. Toss with 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1½ teaspoons of smoked paprika.
- Meanwhile on a large cooking sheet, toss the tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the tomatoes in the 425º oven for 20 minutes or until they are caramelized and wrinkled, about 20-25 minutes.
- Place the shallots in a medium salad bowl and cover with the remaining 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
- Toss the chicken into a bowl with the seasoned beans. Add the roasted tomatoes, pan drippings, tarragon and scallions. Mix until combined and add lemon juice to taste. I used the whole lemon.
- Add the arugula to the salad bowl and toss with the vinegar and shallots.
- Plate the salad. Place about one cup of the arugula on a plate and add ¼th of the chicken salad on top.