The Bean Salad

Warm White Bean Salad with Pork, Apples, and Sage and Mustard Dressing

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When you have some beans and pork on hand, you can of course make chili, but I also like to craft the sort of warm and substantial salad that’s perfect for the kind of in-between day when I toss on a sweater but still feel like eating outside on the front stoop. Choose a hearty salad green for this, such as the frisée shown here: you’ll wilt it slightly by stirring it with warm dressing and the salad ingredients.

Extra ingredients: pork shoulder, white beans

Time: 20 minutes (15 minutes active)

Makes 4 servings

SAGE AND MUSTARD DRESSING (MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP)

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8 fresh sage leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

SALAD

4 ounces (about 3 cups) trimmed frisée, escarole, or other hearty greens

4 ounces (about 1 cup) cooked, shredded pork shoulder

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1¾ cups cooked cannellini or other white beans, drained

1 crisp apple, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith, cored and thinly sliced

1. To make the dressing, in a skillet or small saucepan, warm the olive oil until it shimmers. Drop in the sage leaves and garlic and remove from the heat. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, pepper, and salt. Strain the oil, saving the sage for later, and, whisking continuously, pour the oil into the mustard mixture.

3. Have the frisée ready in a large bowl. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the pork, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until some of the edges of the pork are golden and crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes; tip pan and carefully pour off any excess oil (it can be used for another cooking purpose later). Add the beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Toss in the dressing, gently stir for about 20 seconds, turn off the heat, and pour the pork mixture into the frisée. Fold the apples into the salad, taste, and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice to taste. Top the salad with the reserved crisp sage leaves.

VARIATIONS