Green Bean, Chickpea and Tomato Salad / Insalata di Fagiolini, Ceci, e Pomodori

Name: Green Bean, Chickpea and Tomato Salad / Insalata di Fagiolini, Ceci, e Pomodori
Ingredients: 2 pounds green beans, trimmed; 1/2 cup Filippo Berio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil; 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil; 4 medium ripe plum tomatoes, sliced; 1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and well rinsed; Fine sea salt to taste; 2 small heads radicchio, leaves separated, washed, and dried; INGREDIENTS

Serves 6 to 8

There is a nice balance of colors and flavors in this salad of green beans, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Save time by using canned chickpeas. The longer this salad marinates, the tastier it will be. As a summer lunch, serve the salad with Libretti di Olive (page 76 of CELEBRATIONS ITALIAN STYLE), small pizzas that are folded in half and eaten out of hand.

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup Filippo Berio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
4 medium ripe plum tomatoes, sliced
1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
Fine sea salt to taste
2 small heads radicchio, leaves separated, washed, and dried
INGREDIENTS

Directions

Cook the beans, uncovered, in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
In a shallow glass dish, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, and basil. Add the beans and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and salt and toss again. Cover the dish and let marinate at room temperature for several hours, stirring the salad occasionally.
To serve, line individual salad dishes with the radicchio leaves. Spoon the salad onto the lettuce.