Cannellini bean salad is a must-pack as a meatless option for summer cookouts or picnics. You can serve the salad with cannellini beans chilled or at room temperature—either way, it travels well.
Can Do Salad with Cannellini Beans
To liven up canned white beans for a boldly flavored bean salad for two, we started by steeping the namesake ingredient in a garlicky broth. This infused the beans with deep flavor in short order and sautéing the garlic first brought a toasty element to the salad. Make sure you rinse the white beans thoroughly before adding them to the pot to get rid of excess salt.
Simple Solution to Soften the Bite of Shallots
Marinating our shallot in vinegar worked to tame its raw, harsh notes.
Mix in Color and Crunch for Cannellini Bean Salad
Some red bell pepper added color and crunch. Want to taste more colors of the rainbow? Swap in part yellow bell pepper or orange bell pepper for part of the red bell pepper.
Figs: Just Enough Sweetness
We prefer Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Mission Figs for their pops of familiar fig flavor and sweetness, but you could also swap in Golden Figs for more of a delicate fig flavor that’s also slightly nutty.
Freshen Up with Herbs
Chopped parsley and chives ramp up the vibrancy of the salad and bring a pop of green color too.
Cannellini Bean Salad with Red Bell Pepper + Figs
Ingredients
- 8 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans , rinsed
- 1/4 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Figs , stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 1 small shallot , minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil and garlic in small saucepan over medium-high heat until garlic just begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly add ⅔ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Off heat, add beans and figs, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Combine vinegar and shallot in large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Drain beans and remove garlic. Add beans, remaining 6 teaspoons oil, bell pepper, parsley, and chives to shallot mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Serve.