Summer Bean Salad

Made with white beans, lots of veggies and a fresh lemon dressing, this colourful summer bean salad is the perfect make-ahead summer meal. This salad would equally well as a vegetarian main course or a side grilled for grilled meat, burgers, or anything you’re cooking up at any summer BBQ.

As soon as the weather heats up, there is nothing I love more than a hearty salad that I can make ahead of time and store in the fridge until I’m ready to eat. Although a classic three-bean salad will always be my favourite, the versatility of bean salads is what makes them such a great make-ahead salad option. Not only can you use dried beans or canned beans, but you can truly use any type of bean that you like, and the vegetable and dressing combinations are endless. Plus, beans are a convenient and inexpensive nutritional powerhouse that are packed with fibre and vegetarian protein.

The key to a good bean salad recipe is a) using hearty vegetables that won’t get soggy, and 2) a fresh and vibrant dressing. For this summer-inspired bean salad, I opted to use seasonal vegetables and included asparagus, yellow zucchini and cherry tomatoes, which helped to provide a splash of colour at the same time,  and kept the dressing really simple with a fresh lemon dressing. If you’re not a fan of these particular vegetables, bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans and corn would all work equally well, and you could truly use any oil-based dressing that you like.

If you ask me, this vegetarian bean salad is the perfect summer salad as it works well as a simple lunch or healthy side dish to any summer BBQ. Whip it up today and you’ll have a healthy pre-made meal ready to eat whenever you need it.

Summer Bean Salad

Author: Stephanie Kay

This vegetarian bean salad recipe is the perfect summer meal! Made with white beans, vegetables and a fresh lemon dressing, it’s a healthy, high-protein and high-fibre salad.

• Author: Stephanie Kay
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Salads
• Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Ingredients

bean salad

• 19oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), strained and rinsed
• 1 yellow zucchini, diced
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons basil, roughly chopped
• 4oz goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl or jar, combine dressing ingredients, whisk together until emulsified and set aside.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and season with a pinch of salt.
3. Add chopped asparagus to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes until bright green in colour. Once cooked, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice-cold water and allow to cool completely before straining and patting is dry. (This step is optional, but the process of blanching the asparagus makes it more palatable and tender.)
4. In a large bowl, combine the beans, yellow zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, parsley and basil and toss to combine.
5. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss again to ensure everything is well coated.
6. Taste the salad, season with additional sea salt and pepper to taste or a squeeze of lemon, and top with crumbled goat cheese.
7. The salad can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 313 calories
• Sugar: 6 grams
• Fat: 18 grams
• Carbohydrates: 28 grams
• Fiber: 8 grams
• Protein: 14 grams

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