Cannellini Bean Salad
From The Kitchen
Barely a recipe, and all the better for it. Creamy cannellini beans, good olive oil, plenty of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon, the kind of simple that Italians have always known is enough.
Scaled from the original recipe, sizing up or down is proportional, so taste and adjust the salt, acid & spice.
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (optional)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- In a bowl, gently toss the cannellini beans with the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Add the parsley, and the garlic and red onion if using. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let it sit 15 minutes so the beans soak up the dressing, then taste and adjust with more lemon or salt.
Storage: Keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated, it only gets better as it sits.
Serve it with
- On its own as a light lunch
- Alongside grilled fish or chicken
- Spooned over greens or piled on toast
- As part of an antipasto spread
Gina's tip
Dress the beans and let them marinate, 15 minutes is good, an hour is better. The parsley keeps it fresh and bright.
A bowl of something simple and good, waiting in the fridge, is how eating well stops feeling like effort. This is exactly that kind of thing.
The Why
Why Beans Deserve a Place on Your Plate, the little library note behind this dish.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
Gina