Summer Bean Salad

In my opinion, this vegetarian bean salad is the epitome of a summer salad, serving as an excellent light lunch or a healthy side dish for any summer BBQ. Prepare it today, and you’ll have a nutritious, pre-made meal at your fingertips whenever you need it.

Summer Bean Salad

This vegetarian bean salad recipe embodies the essence of a perfect summer meal. Packed with white beans, vegetables, and a zingy lemon dressing, it’s a nutritious, high-protein, and high-fiber salad.

Ingredients

Bean Salad

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

Dressing

3 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
A pinch of salt
A pinch of black pepper

Instructions

In a small bowl or jar, combine the dressing ingredients, whisk together until emulsified, and set aside.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and season with a pinch of salt.
Add the chopped asparagus to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes until it turns bright green. Once cooked, transfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice-cold water and allow it to cool completely before draining and patting it dry. (This step is optional, but blanching the asparagus makes it more palatable and tender.)
In a large bowl, combine the beans, yellow zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and basil, and toss to mix.
Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss again to ensure even coating.
Taste the salad, season with additional sea salt and pepper to your liking, or add a squeeze of lemon, and top with crumbled goat cheese.
You can serve the salad immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.