Name: Cold Provençal White Bean Salad
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 cups dried small white beans; 6 cups water; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 cloves garlic, pressed; 4 green onions, green part only, very thinly sliced; 1 cup Mediterranean-style olives, pitted and halved; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 6 to 8 large lettuce leaves; 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges, for garnish

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Cold Provençal White Bean SaladCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

One of the things I enjoyed most on my first visits to France were the cold rice and bean salads. They seemed so simple, and the only rice and beans I had eaten at home were hot and served in soups or casseroles, or under some creamed meat. Here is a typical French-style cold white bean salad.

Recipe notes

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