The 10-Minute Meal I Make All Summer Long

No cooking required.

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

One summer afternoon when I was spending a weekend at my grandparents’ house, my grandma taught me how to make a caprese salad. We arranged a spiral of alternating tomatoes, basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella on a large platter, then topped it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. For a light lunch, it was summertime perfection.

As it turns out, that magical summer combination of basil and tomatoes pairs well with more than just cheese. For a dairy-free salad that still satisfies that caprese craving, a can of cannellini beans makes a great replacement for the mozzarella.

When I make this salad, I enjoy it two ways: I’ll eat a portion of it in a bowl for lunch, then spoon the rest onto crostini to share with my family at dinnertime. The garlicky toasts complement the salad so well, it’s like they were meant to go together! 

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

The Key Ingredients

Since there are so few ingredients in this salad, it’s important that every one be of the highest quality you can get. If you’ve got cherry tomatoes growing in your garden, lucky you! They’ll make this salad even more fantastic.

If you’re getting your produce from the grocery store, though, hot-house cherry tomatoes make a great stand-in. I like the ones called Flavor Bombs, which come in a 12-ounce clamshell and still have their stems attached. They’re the sweetest, most flavorful store-bought cherry tomatoes I’ve found. Larger campari tomatoes are great, too—just chop them up into quarters or eighths. Whatever variety you choose, just make sure they actually smell and taste like tomatoes.

Using extra-virgin olive oil is key in this recipe. Its grassy, fresh flavor adds so much more oomph to the salad than a regular olive oil would. My favorites are Cobram Estate, California Olive Ranch, and the organic Kirkland Signature variety at Costco.

As for the balsamic vinegar, I am guilty of hoarding multiple bottles of my favorite, snatching up half a dozen if I ever see them at the store. Trader Joe’s Platinum Aged Balsamic Vinegar only ever shows up around the holiday season, and it’s incredibly reasonably priced for an “invecchiato” vinegar, aka one that’s been aged for at least three years. Other comparable vinegars are usually priced much higher. It’s viscous, highly concentrated, mellow, and sweet.

You might think that canned beans are all the same, but I find that the ones from Cento are the most flavorful. They’re also the highest in sodium of any brands I’m seeing in stores these days. Canned beans with less than 200 mg of sodium per serving tend to be a bit bland, but if you’re watching your salt, I totally get it.

Finally, an optional sprinkle of flaky salt will really make the flavors pop. Just choose your favorite one. We always have a little container of Jacobsen Pure Flake Sea Salt on the counter for recipes like this one. Add a few crystals right before you take a bite—its delightfully crunchy texture dissolves in moments.

Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

How To Make My 4-Ingredient White Bean and Tomato Salad

To make three to four servings, you’ll need:

• 12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Toast or crostini, for serving, optional
• 2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
• Flaky salt, optional

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the tomatoes, beans, basil, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Transfer to serving dishes or spoon on top of toast or crostini. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, top with a pinch of flaky salt, if using, and serve.

Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The basil may oxidize and discolor a bit, but it will still be safe to eat. 

Spotlight on Tomatoes and Basil

• No-Cook Tomato Basil Pasta
• Fried Polenta Panzanella with Tomato, Basil, and Burrata
• Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
• Zucchini Tomato Quiche
  

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