WHITE BEAN SALAD

in , ,
White Bean Salad

I love a good bean salad. One that's herby, fresh & served with a delicious dressing is one of my favourite meals to eat on a Summers evening. Give me this, with an ice-cold glass of Pinot Grigio & I'll be your best friend.  Give me this, with an ice-cold glass of Pinot Grigio & a copy of the Ikea catalogue & I'll probably kiss you.

Now, i know some of you are once again hating the fact that this has raw onion* in, but what can I say apart from that I love onions, raw or otherwise! Apart from being tasty (ha!) - they are very good for you. Not only do they help balance your blood sugar levels but they have a fairly high sulphur content which is an important mineral for healthy skin and efficient detoxification of the liver. Perfect if you're a fan of consuming generous helpings of Pinot Grigio or Ikea catalouges.

*Psssst: you can totally replace the onions with chives and I won't mind ;) I like to serve this piled up on some toasted sourdough and drizzled with a little more of the dressing for a light summery meal.

This recipe is the second in a  series of collaborations with  M&S Food.  All the ingredients are available from M&S stores. You can find the previous recipe HERE.

White Bean Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 tins of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp agave (light brown sugar will also work)
  • 1/4 tsp Worcester sauce
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Mix together the cannellini beans, sliced onions, most of the parsley and basil in a large bowl. Season with a 1/4 tsp of coarse salt & 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, stir & set aside.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, agave, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 3/4 tsp salt, Worcester sauce, red wine vinegar, lemon juice & olive oil. Taste before adjusting seasoning as desired.
  3. Pour most of the dressing (reserving a little to serve) over the beans and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.

This salad is best served after it has chilled for a couple of hours, but it will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.