White Bean Salad with Oven-Rosted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Some days, simple is best.  When using high quality ingredients, properly balanced, you really don’t need much to really make a dish shine.  With sweet oven-roasted tomatoes, creamy, tangy goat cheese, and peppery arugula, you’ve got everything you could need for a perfect salad.  The only downside is trying not to eat all the roasted tomatoes before they can make it onto the plate!

Salad with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
seen on Pink Parsley

inspiration from Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Everyday

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

1 TBSP sugar

salt and black pepper

4 c. (2 15-oz. cans) cooked cannellini beans

1/3 c. toasted pine nuts

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

arugula, for serving (optional) 

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and position the rack in the top third
of the oven.  Halve each tomato and place them cut-side up on a rimmed
baking sheet.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar,
and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Pour over the tomatoes and top with cracked
black pepper.  Cook 45 to 60 minutes, or until the tomatoes shrink a
little bit and start to caramelize around the edges.  Allow to cool to
room temperature before using.  The tomatoes can be refrigerated in an
airtight container (with their oil) for about 1 week.

2.  To make the salad, combine the beans, most of the tomatoes (with their
oil), pine nuts, 1/4 tsp. salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 
Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  

3.  Gently fold in the goat cheese, and
top the salad with the rest of the tomatoes and some fresh black pepper
before serving.  Serves 4.