White Bean Salad

White bean salad is probably one of the healthier Italian dishes to eat. It is ridiculously easy to make, and doesn’t require any actual cooking at all. The ingredients are simple and not very difficult to obtain; you probably have most of them in your kitchen already. Once you have the proper ingredients, you really just need to toss them together in the portions most suitable to your taste, and presto, you have a wonderful salad that can be eaten as an appetizer or main course.

Packing this for your lunch or your kid’s lunch? Make sure you pack them in an insulated kids lunch kit or in your kid’s lunch box.

Health Benefits

This white bean salad’s main ingredient are cannellini beans. These little guys are packed full of protein which is why they work so well as a vegetarian meat substitute. Eating sufficient quantities of protein is important because protein helps the body build and maintain cells. It also helps with muscle fatigue and muscle tissue damage recovery, which is perfect for weight lifters and physically active people who need to recover from their fatigue quickly.

Nutrition

Per Serving:

268 calories

15.6 g fat

25.4 g carbohydrates

7.2 g protein

0 mg cholesterol

922 mg sodium

Ingredients

cans cannellini beans – drained and rinsed: 2

can quartered artichoke hearts – drained: 1

cup green olives – sliced: 1/2

cup roasted red peppers – drained and chopped: 1

english cucumber – diced: 1/2

plum tomatoes – cored, seeded, and diced: 6

celery ribs – diced: 2

green onions – thinly sliced: 2

cup sherry vinegar: 1/3

tsp Dijon mustard: 1

cup fresh parsley – finely chopped: 1/4

tbsp fresh thyme: 1

tsp fresh rosemary – finely chopped: 2

tsp garlic powder: 1

tsp paprika: 1

Salt and pepper to taste

cup olive oil: 1/2

How To Make White Bean Salad

1. Stir together the beans, artichokes, olives, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, celery and green onions in a large bowl.
2. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard, parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Gradually pour in olive oil until well combined.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir until all ingredients are coated.
6. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight before serving.

Trivia

The flatulence producing effect of beans is caused by oligosaccharides, a type of sugar molecule.