Between Jonathan testing allergic to chickpeas and the new bean juice, er, “aquafaba” meringue sensation, white, or cannellini beans have really taken center stage in my kitchen lately. They are so versatile—I use them in tacos, pasta, veggie bowls, and salads. I often make them from scratch/dry, but I also like the little tetra pak boxes of them that they sell at Whole Foods.
I made the Chickpea Salad Sandwich from the Minimalist Baker a few months ago and really loved it, but we had to stop eating garbanzos for Jonathan. So when I remade with white beans I really mixed things up and came up with my own version, skewing towards Italian flavors. It just made sense with the cannellini beans.
This salad is at once hearty and light, refreshing and satisfying. It’s great served on it’s own, wrapped in a lettuce cup, or my favorite—stuffed between two slices of homemade bread (my favorite bread of the moment here).
So go ahead and make up a quick batch of this salad—it will be loved by everyone you serve it to. And while you’re at it, save the liquid from the {canned} beans (I freeze mine in ice cube trays). I’ve got a delicious brownie recipe coming up and you’re going to need it!
^^^ Just waiting to dig in to the prop sandwich. He said “Mommy, let’s have a picnic!”
^^^ Kid tested. Mom approved.
White Bean Salad Sandwich
2 T olive oil
2 T mayo (I like Earth Balance Olive Oil mayo)
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t mustard Dijon
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 t salt
pepper to taste
3 c white beans (2 cans)
1/2 c olives, sliced
1/2 c sundried tomatoes, diced
1/4 c shallot/red onion/green onion
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 c fresh basil
To serve:
Bread
Avocados
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Whisk together olive oil, mayo, lemon juice, and dijon. Add in garlic, salt and pepper and whisk again. Add beans to the dressing. Using a potato masher or fork, mash about half of the beans while leaving the other half whole or in large chunks. You want it to be the right consistency to stay between two slices of bread, but not be mush! Add in the olives, tomatoes, shallot, celery, and basil and mix well.
To serve: Make a sandwich with the bean salad, lettuce, tomatoes and avocados, or serve over a bed of lettuce. Or eat it straight out of the bowl. No judgement—this is healthy food!
