White Bean and Asparagus Salad With Tarragon-Lemon Dressing

Really tasty recipe from the New York Times (5/31/13).

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 8  ounces dried white beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
•  salt, to taste
• 2  bay leaves, if using dried beans
• 1  lb asparagus
• 1⁄2 cup tarragon leaf
• 1  teaspoon lemon zest, packed & finely grated
• 2  garlic cloves, peeled
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1  large lemon, juiced, plus more to taste

Directions

1. If using canned beans, drain and rinse. If using dried beans, soak in plenty of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and transfer to a medium pot. Cover beans by 2 inches with water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaves. Simmer until just tender but not at all mushy, about 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon what kind of beans you’re using. Drain.
2. Break off tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl with ice and cold water. Blanch trimmed asparagus for 1 1/2 minutes, or until just cooked through but still firm, then plunge them into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain. Pat dry and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine tarragon, lemon zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the lemon juice, and process until garlic is chopped. Pour in olive oil. Process until mixture is well blended and bright green, about 1 minute.
4. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together beans, asparagus and dressing. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.