Tonnato Broad Beans with Shaved Fennel

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Life has been busy lately.  Not looking for sympathy – I’m sure it’s been busy for you as well. The spring is just kind of like that. People are waking up, and it’s time to get down to business. And by “business,” I mean everything you neglected while in you were in your mid-winter stupor. Or maybe that’s just me. Lately, many of my meals have looked like these Tonnato Broad Beans with Shaved Fennel. Something I can make quickly, consume slowly over a week, and shovel into my mouth via toast while keeping one hand on my keyboard. I firmly believe we all need meals like these in our lives.

While the primary selling feature of these Tonnato Broad Beans is their simplicity, that doesn’t mean they’re simple in terms of flavor. These beans pack a punch! So what are you looking at here? You’re looking at a bed of lightly dressed shaved fennel topped with tender broad beans swimming in a bright and umami-rich Tonnato sauce. The whole delicious mess is served with toast on the side. I fried my bread in olive oil for a little extra decadence. You can just pop the bread into the toaster to keep things chill. But I personally need a little indulgence, especially when I’m on a deadline. 

The first thing we’re going to tackle is the dressing for the fennel salad and the Tonnato sauce. I like to kick things off with these two because they only get better with time. If you’re the meal prep type, these are two great make-ahead candidates. The flavours will intensify the longer they sit. 

Let’s start with the dressing for the fennel. This is just a simple white balsamic vinaigrette accented with garlic, a kiss of honey, and a hefty dollop of Dijon mustard. You can whisk this dressing by hand, but I prefer to blitz everything together in a smoothie cup for maximum laziness. Once the dressing is smooth and slightly creamy, pour it into a bowl or a jar and transfer it to the fridge. It will keep for up to a week.

Now, let’s talk Tonnato. Tonnato sauce is a Piedmontese specialty. It is a mayonnaise-esque emulsion flavoured with tuna. It’s typically served over chilled, sliced veal to create the classic dish Vitello Tonnato, which is usually enjoyed during the summer months. Typically, the sauce is made using egg yolks, oil, anchovies, lemon juice, and tuna. Today’s Tonnato sauce is a little bit of a cheat. It replaces the egg yolks and oil with mayonnaise. This way, you don’t have to worry about making your own emulsion or ingesting raw egg yolks. I know it’s not for everyone. If you want to make a more traditional tonnato sauce, I have a recipe for it right here. 

To make the tonnato sauce, all you have to do is place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz until very smooth. I do find it helpful to chop the preserved lemon before adding it to the blender. It makes for a smoother sauce. And by the way, if you can’t find preserved lemon, just skip it. Your sauce will still taste amazing. The preserved lemon just adds a little extra complexity to the sauce.

Like the dressing you made earlier, tonnato sauce will keep in a sealed container for a week in the fridge. With the sauces ready and waiting, you can put the final dish together. Start by draining and rinsing two cans of broad beans. Place them in a bowl and add the tonnato sauce. The beans should be absolutely swimming in the sauce. Incidentally, you can also seal the Tonnato Broad Beans in a resealable container, and it will keep in the fridge for a week as well. 

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fennel. When you’re ready to serve, shave the fennel bulb thinly on a mandolin. To the fennel, add a few spoonfuls of the dressing and toss to coat. Add just enough to lightly dress the fennel. I also finished the fennel off with a sprinkling of Maldon salt. Highly recommend! Once the fennel is ready, you’re on the clock. The fennel will wilt over time.

Start by placing a pile of fennel in a bowl. Top the fennel with a hefty spoonful of the Tonnato Broad Beans and garnish with fennel fronds and a ton of fresh ground pepper. Serve with a side of toast, either fried in oil or toasted the old fashioned way. And that’s it! Serve immediately and enjoy screen-side, so you don’t blow your deadline…don’t mind me, I’m just projecting.

Enjoy!