Daily Diary Entry: Insalata di Pomodori, Cipolle, Fagioli, e Tonno

Tonight’s Daily Diary entry is a delicious cool salad from my cookbook Diary of a Tuscan Chef. Rest assured that you won’t even work up a sweat preparing it, as it is simple and easy to assemble...just don’t forget to soak those cannellini beans overnight. (Why not do that right now--your dinner for tomorrow will be taken care of!)

Insalata di Pomodori, Cipolle, Fagioli, e Tonno

Tomato, Onion, Bean, and Tuna Salad

(Serves 4)

1 ¼ cups dried cannellini beans

9 cups cold water

1 tablespoon salt, plus extra to taste

2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut in bite-size piees

½ sweet red onion, sliced thin

1 cup Italian tuna, canned in oil, drained and flaked

⅛ - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Rinse the beans, picking them over to remove any pebbles. Soak them overnight in 4 cups of cold water. Drain them, add 5 cups of fresh water, and, in a medium saucepan, bring the beans to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of salt and cook the beans until they are tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain and cool. Place the beans and the other ingrediuets in a serving bowl. Toss and serve.