White Bean Summer Salad

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I eat twice as many salads during the summer as I do during the colder months. I suspect part of this is just more of a quiet reaction to what my body wants: something light and refreshing in summer versus warm and hearty in winter.

What I love about this white bean summer salad is that is brings big flavors and fill you up without leaving you feeling like you need to take a nap.

Ingredients

¼ red onion (cut small dice)
1 stalk celery (cut small dice)
½ cucumber (peeled and cut small dice)
8 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
1 tsp Kosher salt
3 cups cooked white beans (like cannellini beans, rinsed)
2 Tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped)
8 fresh mint leaves (finely sliced)
3 scallions/green onions (finely sliced)
3 Tbsp olive oil
The zest of 1 lemon
The juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced red onion, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a pinch of Kosher salt, and allow the vegetables to sit and marinate in the salt for ten minutes.
Drain the excess water from the vegetables, and add the rinsed white beans, fresh herbs, sliced scallions, olive oil, and lemon zest and juice.
Taste the mixture, and season with Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled.

Notes

If you prepare this bean salad in advance, make sure to mix the contents well before serving, as the vegetables have a tendency to give off some additional water after being salted.
You can cook your beans from scratch, it will just more time! I find the canned beans work fine, especially if they are rinsed well before being included with the remaining salad ingredients.