Mexican Bean & Roasted Tomato Salad

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 large red onion, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 14 firm roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• salt
• 3 (15 ounce) cans canned cannellini ( beans)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped (fresh is best) or 2 teaspoons dried thyme (fresh is best)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 lightly oil a 10-inch square oven-proof pan and put in the onion, 1/2 tsp oil and 1/2 tsp vinegar.
• 2 arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on a 9x13-inch lightly oiled baking sheet, rub tomatoes with the remaining oil and salt well (or eliminate the salt to your liking).
• 3 heat oven to 475°f and bake the onions for about 40 minutes and the tomatoes for about 1 hour.
• 4 switch positions of the pans halfway through the baking.
• 5 pour beans and their liquid into a saucepan add thyme, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes, stir.
• 6 strain the beans over a bowl and reserve the liquid.
• 7 place beans in a serving bowl and tap all the herbs from the strainer onto the beans.
• 8 chop 8 tomato halves and stir into the beans along with the fresh basil and onions.
• 9 moisten with a bit of the reserved bean water if you wish, season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 10 arrange the remaining tomato halves around the edge of the salad in the serving bowl.
• 11 serve warm or at room temperature.
• 12 drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the salad and then serve.