Warm Borlotti Bean Salad with Pear and Blue Cheese
This Warm Borlotti Bean Salad with Pear and Blue Cheese is a delightful dish for 2, blending the nutty flavors of borlotti beans with the sweetness of pears and the bold taste of blue cheese. Begin by preheating oven, then mix borlotti beans with a splash of olive oil in a baking dish. Add red onion, walnuts, and most of the pear wedges, drizzling the rest of the olive oil on top. Roast everything until the onions soften, the walnuts are toasted, and the pears are tender. After roasting, toss the warm mixture with fresh greens like rocket or baby spinach. Increase the salad by shaving the last bits of pear over the top for a fresh touch, then crumble blue cheese generously. A dash of lemon juice just before serving adds a zesty finish that ties all the flavors together beautifully.
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 x 400 g Tin of borlotti beans
- 1 Red onion
- Handful of walnuts
- 2 Medium pears
- 2 Handfuls of green leaves
- 40 g Blue cheese
- ½ Juice of lemon
- Oven Preparation
Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas 3), setting the stage for roasting the ingredients to perfection.
- Layering the Ingredients
In a baking dish, first, drizzles half of the extra virgin olive oil. Then, evenly distribute the rinsed borlotti beans as the base layer. On top of the beans, add the red onion pieces, a handful of walnuts, and about three-quarters of the pear wedges. Finish by drizzling the remaining olive oil over everything, ensuring the ingredients are nicely coated.
- Roasting
Place the dish in your preheated oven and let it roast for about 1 hour. You’re looking for the onion to soften, the walnuts to become toasted and fragrant, and the pears to turn tender and juicy.
- Assembling the Salad
Once roasted, remove the dish from the oven. In a large salad bowl, combine the roasted beans, onions, walnuts, and pears with 2 generous handfuls of fresh green leaves, like rocket, baby spinach, or watercress.
- Adding Freshness and Creaminess
With a vegetable peeler, shave the remaining pear pieces into thin ribbons. Scatter these fresh pear ribbons over the salad for a crisp texture and sweet flavor contrast. Then, crumble the blue cheese atop the salad for a creamy and tangy bite. Finally, just before serving, give the salad a light dressing with the juice of half a lemon to brighten the flavors and add a zesty note.
