The great thing about this salad is that it’s the perfect side dish to any meal, can be eaten on its own for a #meatlessmonday, or you can add a lean, grilled protein on top to enjoy it as an entree! I love salads with lots of colors and especially with fresh olives. This is guaranteed to disappear quickly once you set it out.
INGREDIENTS.
For the salad
- 2 cans of white beans rinsed and drained (white kidney beans or cannellini beans)
- 2 mini cucumbers (or ½ English cucumber) thinly sliced in rounds or chopped
- 2 spring onions finely chopped
- 1 shallot or small red onion small, peeled, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- ⅓ cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives (I also love to add fresh Castelvetrano olives)
- 1 small diced red or yellow bell pepper (or both!)
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup crumbled or cubed Feta cheese, plus more to taste
For the dressing
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS.
- Prep all of the ingredients: drain and rinse the beans, halve the olives and tomatoes, cut the cucumber into small pieces, slice the red onion, roughly chop the fresh herbs, and chop the bell pepper.
- Once all salad ingredients are prepped, place them into a large mixing bowl, stirring, and toss to combine.
- To make the dressing, add all dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, zest, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and black pepper) to a medium bowl or liquid measure, and whisk well to combine. You also can place them into a glass dressing jar/mason jar with a lid and shake until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad in a large bowl, and gently toss to coat.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning, salt, and pepper if needed.
Enjoy with a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I pour myself a glass of my go-to, Pine Ridge Vineyards Chenin Blanc Viognier, for this dish.