White Bean Summer Salad

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.

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White Bean Summer Salad

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.