Recipe: Tomato, Basil and White Bean Salad

Last week, we had a bit of a heat way here. A little too early in my opinion for 92 degrees and humid but what are you gonna do? We do not have central air in our house, so on days when the mercury is rising, we like to avoid putting the oven on at all costs. I'm sure you are all right there with me on that one! Even having the burners going can create too much extra heat in the house. Dinner can be a daunting task on days like this so we take to the outdoors to grill (and by we I mean my husband!) So for dinner on one of these hot and humid days, we had a nice grilled steak, a salad and our favorite summer-time side dish - Tomato, basil and white bean salad.

I came across this recipe a few years ago in one of the summer month issues of  Martha Stewart Living and it has become a favorite ever since. It is a great side dish for burgers or steaks and can be a great main dish as well when served over some penne pasta. It is perfect for making on a hot summer day (you only need to turn your burners on for two minutes tops) or any day of the year!

Tomato, Basil and White Bean Salad
(recipe from Martha Stewart - source)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Yield Serves 4

          

Ingredients

• 2 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 pound small roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 small garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Combine beans, tomatoes, basil, and salt in a bowl, and season with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour over bean mixture, and gently toss. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Salad can be covered and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours.

 

 

 My kids do not care too much for this salad so we usually have leftovers. I will boil up some penne pasta the next night for dinner and pour the remaining bean salad over the hot pasta and add some quartered fresh mozzarella balls or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Makes another great quick meal!

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Meghan