About the Recipe
This is my base bean salad recipe. I will make this early in the week then eat a small bowl with lunch throughout the week. I prefer it with the green beans, but they do discolor sitting in the fridge. And they're more work. I find the addition of the extra vegetables (peppers, onions, spinach) livens it up but these are not required. One person I know can't eat raw onions so I leave these out if they are on the guest list.
Ingredients
1 can chick peas
1 can cannellini beans
Small bag fresh green beans (cut and blanched) OR another can of some other type of bean
Chopped fresh spinach
Red onion (diced thin)
English cucumber (peeled and chopped)
3 peppers, any color, seeded and chopped
Dressing
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
Minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
Salt & pepper
Preparation
Chop the peppers, cucumber, red onion. For the spinach, I get a small bag of fresh spinach and do a rough chop.
Drain and rinse the canned beans.
If using, blanch the green beans in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water immediately.
For the dressing, heat vinegar, sugar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar dissolves about 5 minutes. Cool.Â
Combine all the vegetables and pour the dressing over.