This is a truly versatile dish that can be served with salads, as a side to larger main meals or as the perfect accompaniment to long summer barbeques. There really couldn’t be an easier way to make such a healthy, colourful and hearty dish and makes a vibrant change to the shop bought bean salad you’ll have tried before.
Ingredients
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped.
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced.
- 2tbsp red wine vinegar.
- 800g of tinned white beans
- A couple of roast peppers from a jar in olive oil (optional)
- A handful of chopped basil.
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Method
Thinly slice your red onion and garlic and add it to a bowl along with your red wine vinegar and refrigerate for 30 mins. The vinegar will start to cook the onion and garlic so they aren’t so sharp.
Drain and rinse your tinned beans. Allow them to stand and dry as you don’t want the salad to be too watery.
After 30 mins, combine your drained beans and the vinegar, onion and garlic. Thinly slice your basil and a couple of roasted peppers and add to the beans.
Give the salad a good mix, adding the extra virgin olive oil and season to taste.
Place back in the refrigerator for at least another 30 minutes so the flavours all combine.
Top tip for making Summer white bean salad
Try using a mixture of beans to give you an interesting taste and to make the dish more pleasing to the eye. A combination of butter beans and cannellini beans works brilliantly!
