Tuscan Soppressata and Cannellini Bean Salad

A quick and flavor-packed salad to pull together, the quality of your ingredients will be the key players in this classic Tuscan recipe.  Be sure to work with top-notch extra-virgin olive oil - if you can source genuine peppery Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil, all the better.  Pair this oil with smooth, full-bodied Balsamic vinegar - the older, the better.  Very often, but particularly in this case, going the extra mile to find the best ingredients you can source is entirely worth the effort.  The pay-off for your efforts will be the assured enthusiasm your friends and family will show for your special handmade dishes.

Often when working in authentic Italian kitchens, chefs will have a separate olive oil used to dress their salads and an oil dedicated to cooking.  Be sure to use that special dressing oil in this specialy Tuscan recipe as you'll be sure to taste the difference.

Specialty dried Tuscan beans are also welcome here - look for Zolfo or Cannellini varieties.  Classic Soppressata salumi will also feature here - try and spice it up with a different type of salumi if you'd like something a bit different, but classic at the same time.  Give your taste buds a jolt of flavor as you experiement with your favorite flavor blends and present your culinary findings to your friends and loved ones.