Name: White Bean Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 small shallot , minced (or 2 spring onion end bulbs); 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into small, even pieces; 2 tbsp chopped chives (or the green end of a spring onion)

America’s Test Kitchen has done it again with this simple, tasty White Bean Salad. The recipe is set up for two servings, but you can easily double or triple it if you’re having more family for lunch or dinner.

At the beginning of 2020, the year of ‘whaaaat?’, I created recipe lists from a bunch of different cookbooks that sit on my shelves. A couple of years ago I pared down those cookbooks from about 150 to under 100. I kept the ones that I really will cook from and have had some marvelous recipes.

White Bean Salad is one of those good newly discovered recipes, although it has familiar, comforting flavors. It’s tangy from the touch of vinegar and oil, crunchy from the vegetables, and hearty from the beans.

Easy to throw together, go ahead and pre-chop your garlic, shallot (or green onion like I used), and red pepper to make things easier.

This is one of those salads you can eat for a meal (hello, Veggie Monday). In fact, since Bret has an intolerance to (a.k.a.->hates) onions and peppers, I get to enjoy the entire salad.

I prefer this salad cold, but you can serve it room temperature, too. If you’re having it for a potluck or family get-together, stir it before serving to get the vinegar/oil combination evenly all over the beans and vegetables.

We’re not going to an outing this Fourth of July weekend. I miss going to gatherings for a couple of reasons – not getting to see family and friends, and not being able to try out my new creations and recipe efforts on them.

It’s supposed to be made with cannellini beans but I couldn’t find any, so used Great Northern Beans. Works great! Don’t have either of those? Use well-drained and rinsed black beans or even butter beans. Nothing that will get too mushy, though.

I love this White Bean Salad and how simple it is. Don’t let that simplicity fool you, though. It’s packed with great flavor.

Looking for another great picnic/side salad? Try my Shoe Peg Corn Salad!

White Bean Salad

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Bean salad with crunchy red peppers, garlic, shallots, and tossed with a tangy vinegar/oil dressing.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot , minced (or 2 spring onion end bulbs)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into small, even pieces
2 tbsp chopped chives (or the green end of a spring onion)

Instructions

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until it just begins to brown - about 30-45 seconds. Pull the skillet off the heat and let cool for a minute. Then add 2/3 cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place back over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Take the skillet off the heat and add the beans. Stir, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a cup and add the shallots (or spring onion) and 2 tablespoons of the small-chopped red bell pepper. Stir so that all of the ingredients are soaking in the vinegar. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Drain the beans (but do not rinse). In a small bowl, stir together the drained beans, the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, the shallot/bell pepper/vinegar mixture, the rest of the bell pepper, and the chives.
Taste, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (or you can serve it at room temperature). Stir before serving and sprinkle with extra chives if you'd like.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used Great Northern Beans instead of cannellini. Use whatever small white bean you'd like - it'll work.

The original recipe says to throw the garlic out, but I kept it in to add flavor.

The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar, so used it. Use what you'd like.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 727mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 11gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

In an effort to NOT turn on the oven while it’s over 100° every day…. I pulled out Black-Eyed Peas with Oranges and Chipotle from Saladish by Ilene Rosen.

It sounds a little like a Fall dish, but the fresh oranges and cilantro make it a perfect summer salad or side dish.

I’ve taken a few liberties with the recipe. I tend to do that, since I really want to use what’s in the pantry instead of having to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients. Along with the black-eyed peas, I used a can of black beans and instead of oranges, I used fresh mandarins.

This dish is hearty and still light in a way, with the citrus fruit adding a sweetness while the chipotle and adobo add a spicy smokiness. A delicious meal that was put together fairly quickly. Want it even a little easier? Use canned mandarins.

We enjoyed these Black-Eyed Peas with Orange and Chipotle. Maybe I should rename this Black-Eyed Peas, Black Beans with Mandarins and Chipotle. Nope, too long. We’ll stick to the original and you can make changes – it’s really fairly versatile.

I was liberal with the adobo sauce and chipotle because we like spicy, but you can start with a little and make it to your tastes.

Oh, and don’t forget the cilantro! That finishes off the dish nicely.