For a tomato dish packed with protein and fiber, make these caprese white beans

The Abridged version:

• Tomato season is hitting Sacramento-area farmers markets and backyard gardens.
• Zoe Barrie’s caprese white beans recipe uses cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and basil to create a fiber- and protein-rich riff on tortellini alla caprese.
• You can make extra: It’s just as good cold out of the fridge the next day.

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This is Cooking in Season, a biweekly series from local recipe developer Zoe Barrie using seasonal produce available at Sacramento-area farmers markets. 

With summer right around the corner, tomatoes are making their grand entrance at farmers markets across the Sacramento region.

My own tomato plants still have some time (I was late transplanting my seedlings), but the seasoned growers at local farmers markets make up for it with everything from cherry to heirloom varieties. Orange to purple, small to large, perfectly round to knobby — they’re all bursting with flavor and ready to elevate your summer dishes.

This dish is inspired by a resurgence of the bean-and-fiber craze in recent years, and by a tortellini alla caprese I used to make. It’s a spin on the caprese flavors that you might find in a pasta dish, with the nutritional benefits of beans, including how protein- and fiber-rich they are.

Caprese white beans

Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 15 minutes

A fresh caprese salad is almost synonymous with summer — and so are good tomatoes. This fiber-rich version transforms the classic into a hearty weeknight meal, with cooked tomatoes that deepen in flavor and release their juices over time, creating a light sauce that coats the beans.

It’s just as good cold from the fridge the next day, when the flavors have melded, and the beans have had time to soak up the sauce. Customize by serving it with cooked meat or crusty bread, folding in leafy greens like spinach or spring mix, or enjoying it as is.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained

8 ounces mozzarella pearls, drained

¼ cup packed basil leaves, torn

Balsamic glaze (optional), for garnish

Flaky salt (optional), for garnish

Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the tomato mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the beans. Toss to coat. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool.

Step 3

Stir in the mozzarella pearls and basil. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Garnish with balsamic glaze and flaky salt, if using.

Zoe Barrie is the writer and recipe developer behind Cooking in Season, a biweekly column featuring recipes made from the Sacramento region’s seasonal produce. She runs the popular Substack page Restaurant Dropout and previously worked in Bay Area restaurants after graduating from culinary school.