white bean and red onion salad with marinated artichokes

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This recipe is loosely based on a recipe from a cookbook that my friend Bonnie loaned to me. It’s called Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World, by Gil Marks. It’s such a great book I’m going to have to buy my own copy!
This salad recipe is a great way to take advantage of the red onions that we can get right now at the Farmers’ Market! I think it’s so fun to use what local veggies we can, especially early in the season when there isn’t too much to choose from, produce-wise. Another reason I wanted to make this recipe is because I had a huge, half-empty Costco-sized jar of marinated artichokes, and I wanted to use it up. The original recipe calls for adding olive oil, but I don’t think it’s necessary, because the marinated artichokes already have lots of yummy, flavorful oil coating them. But by all means, add ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil if you want the salad to be richer.
Serve this recipe with bread—or on top of toast! You can rub the toast with a raw garlic clove before spooning the beans on, if you like.

beans:
2 cups white beans, soaked for 4 hours or overnight
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
2 bay leaves
sea salt or kosher salt
salad:
3 or 4 medium-small red onions, minced
2 or 3 cups marinated artichoke hearts, sliced
½ cup or more red wine vinegar, to taste
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
optional garnish:
fresh tomatoes, chopped

1. Drain the soaked beans, then put them in a pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add the quartered onion, garlic, and bay leaves and make sure the water covers the onions. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender. This could take 45 minutes to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the beans and how old they are. When the beans are tender enough to easily squish between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, turn the heat off. If you have time, let the beans sit in their liquid with the aromatics until cool. Remove the quartered onions and whole garlic cloves and discard. Add salt to the beans to taste.
2. While the beans are cooking, halve the onions, peel them, mince them, and pile them in a bowl. Bring a kettle of water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the onions. Stir the onions around in the hot water for 30 seconds, then drain them.  (This mellows the bite of the onions, but doesn’t cook them. You don’t want to let them sit in the boiling water too long or they’ll lose their crunch.)
3. When the beans are done, drain them. (Save the cooking liquid to use as stock for vegetable soups and stews! Just pop it in the freezer until you need it.) In a large bowl, combine the beans with the onions and artichoke hearts. Drizzle in the vinegar, add a teaspoon of salt and plenty of grindings of pepper. Taste for salt—it will probably need more. Keep adding salt and vinegar until you’re happy with the balance of flavors—it should be nice and sprightly and well-seasoned, so don’t be shy.
4. Refrigerate the salad for several hours or overnight, to let the flavors meld, if you have time. It’s good right away, too—but this is a great recipe to make ahead if you can. When you’re ready to serve it, mix in the parsley (if you have any hanging around—the salad is good with or without it). Bring the salad to room temperature before serving. (You can microwave it, or just leave it out on the counter for an hour or so). Make sure to taste it again when it’s at room temperature—it is very likely to need more vinegar and more salt and pepper, as the beans will have absorbed the seasoning over time.
5. Serve this salad with or on toast, garnished with tomato wedges, if you like.