Delicately flavored. Slender and pale. Firm, yet perfectly creamy, in their texture. Flageolets are like the golden age Hollywood starlet of the fancy bean world. And in this easy flageolet bean salad, they make an ideal companion for the lively flavors of ripe cherry tomatoes and briny black olives. Just like in many a classic film, their elegant character serves as a strikingly satisfying counterpoint to the more assertive ingredients in the ensemble. And these fabulous French beans do their part with panache. Equally wonderful as a main course or a side dish, this flageolet bean salad also has some serious range. It can pull off a starring role on your meatless menu or beautifully complement a classic pairing like lamb. However you choose to serve them, the reviews are bound to be stellar.
Ingredients for Flageolet Bean Salad
- flageolet beans
- fresh thyme
- bay leaf
- garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- dijon mustard
- shallot
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- cherry tomatoes
- black olives
- flat leaf parsley
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Soak the flageolet beans in plenty of water for about 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. (They will look plumped when they are ready to cook.)
Then drain and rinse the rehydrated beans.
Place the beans in a large pot along with the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender.
In the meantime, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Quarter the tomatoes, roughly chop the olives and parsley, and finely chop the shallot for the dressing.
For the dressing, place the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Then whisk until combined.
When the beans are tender, drain and place them in a large bowl. Discard the garlic, bay leaf, and woody remains of the thyme sprigs. (But don't worry about all those little thyme leaves now flecked throughout the beans.)
Add the dressing to the hot beans and toss gently to coat. Then add the tomatoes, olives, and parsley, tossing everything briefly to combine.
Taste for seasoning and serve.
Hint: It's a good idea to begin testing the beans for doneness around 45 minutes into the cooking time. Flageolets have a relatively thick skin for such a delicate bean, but you don't want them to overcook and get mushy. Another key here is to dress them while they're still hot (or at least warm). That way they soak up the olive oil in the dressing, which makes their consistency not only creamy, but practically silky.
Variations
The combination of tomatoes, olives, and parsley along with a simple vinaigrette works really well here, but there are a myriad of other delicious ways you could flavor this salad. Here are a few thoughts on alternative possibilities...
- Riverside - skip the tomatoes and olives, but add some flaked grilled salmon and chopped dill
- Summertime - toss in your favorite garden bounty (perhaps some freshly shelled peas, thinly sliced radishes and cucumbers, grilled summer squash, etc.) along with heaps of freshly chopped herbs (such as basil, tarragon, or chives)
- Wintertime - replace the tomatoes with some shredded baby kale (and perhaps a few gratings of Parmigiano Reggiano)
Storage
Flageolet bean salad can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Once it has been refrigerated, allow a little time for the chill to come off before serving it. This salad tastes best when it is closer to room temperature.
Top tip
Flageolet beans are often difficult to find at the grocery store in many areas, but they can always be ordered online. And they are absolutely worth seeking out. Rancho Gordo and Zürsun are both great sources.
📖 Recipe
Flageolet Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup flageolet beans
- several sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 fat garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup shallot finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- ⅓ cup black olives roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- Soak the flageolet beans in plenty of water for about 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. (They will look thoroughly plumped when they are ready to cook.)
- Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a large pot along with the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Quarter the tomatoes, roughly chop the olives and parsley, and finely chop the shallot for the dressing.
- For the dressing, place the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until combined.
- When the beans are tender, drain and place them in a large bowl. Discard the garlic, bay leaf, and woody remains of the thyme sprigs. (But don't worry about all those little thyme leaves now flecked throughout the beans.)
- Add the dressing to the hot beans and toss gently to coat. Then add the tomatoes, olives, and parsley, tossing everything briefly to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve.
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