Butter Bean Salad

This Butter Bean Salad is full of vibrant flavour and colour. It is simple enough to play a supporting role as a side dish, but so flavoursome and nutritious that it can also stand alone as a light, meat-free meal. The creamy butter beans are perfectly complemented by crunchy, colourful vegetables and you will find it a breeze to put together; just combine the ingredients and toss them together in a simple vinaigrette. It’s as easy as that.

You will love this Butter Bean Salad because:

• It is made from simple ingredients, all of which are readily available or you may already have on hand.
• The smooth, creamy texture of the butter beans makes them a great base for this healthy salad. They happily absorb and complement the flavours of the accompanying ingredients.
• The Butter Bean Salad does double duty. It is ideal as a side dish to meat, fish or poultry, as well as being perfect served as a light, meat-free meal.
• You can easily customise this salad to suit your personal taste or adapt to what you have on hand.
• If you have a crowd to feed, you can easily double or triple the recipe as required.
• The fresh flavours and crisp texture of the vegetables make this healthy salad very appealing.
• It is perfect for busy nights when you just want to grill some meat, poultry or fish but don’t have the energy for a complicated side dish.

Ingredients in this recipe:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Butter beans – for convenience, we use tinned beans, which are readily available and inexpensive. Their soft, creamy texture makes them ideal for this dish. They are a great base for a dish that you’ll be adding lots of flavour to, like our Butter Bean Stew or Mash.

Brown/yellow onion – this is an all-purpose onion, that adds great flavour to the dish. If you wish, you could use a red onion.

Celery ribs – adds great texture and subtle flavour.

Carrot – for additional flavour and texture.

Red pepper/capsicum – adds a great pop of colour, along with a sweet-tasting crunch.

Parsley – for bright flavour, we use the flat leaf, continental/Italian variety. It adds colour and freshness and helps to balance the flavours of the dish.

Garlic – one of my favourite flavour boosters. Add a small fresh garlic clove to the salad dressing, and not powder or jarred garlic.

Extra virgin olive oil – I prefer to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for its flavour and its health-benefiting antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. Use the best olive oil that you have.

Apple cider vinegar – this is the acidic element in the salad dressing

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste.

2 – Prepare the Dressing:
Finely mince or chop a clove of garlic and add to a small dish. Add the olive oil and vinegar and stir to combine.

Drizzle over the salad ingredients, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Tips for success and FAQs:

One of my best tips is to always have several cans of beans of different varieties in your pantry. This will mean that you are minutes away from an easy dish, such as this Butter Bean Salad, an appetiser such as Cannellini Bean or Red Kidney Bean Dip, or my Chickpea Patties for an easy, flavoursome main course.

Serving suggestions:

Serve the Butter Bean Salad as a light, meat-free meal with some crusty bread.

Alternatively, enjoy it as a side dish with meat, fish or poultry such as our Crispy Stovetop Chicken Thighs.

It is ideal to take it on a picnic or to a potluck – it is a salad that travels well.

This quick and easy Butter Bean Salad is certain to become a regular addition to your menu planning, and to make life easier, it is one which can easily be customised to use the ingredients that you have on hand.

Alex xx

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