Spicy Tuesday – Italian Bean Eaters Salad – Basil

If we were eating this salad together in Italy today, we would be called “mangifagioli” or bean eaters. You’ll be happy to be called a bean eater when you taste it – full of creamy white beans, bright basil flavors and a zesty lemon dressing.

All these flavors add to a yummy beautiful salad, one that’s full of nutrition, too! The fresh chopped basil in the recipe provides extracts that are said to have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Fragrant fresh basil, for instance, offers a healthy dose of blood-clotting vitamin K — 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil provide 27% of the RDA — as well as vitamin A, manganese, and magnesium.

This salad keeps great in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, and makes an awesome lunch the next day, too!

Italian Cannellini Bean Salad

• 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB Lemon Juice
• 1 TB Grated Lemon Zest
• Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 2 (15 oz) Cans *Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 TB Red Onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ Cup Chopped Basil
• 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, quartered
• 1 ½ Cups Artichoke Hearts, (not marinated, canned and drained OR frozen)
• 1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped

Whisk together oil, juice, zest, salt and pepper. Pour over beans. Add red onion, basil, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and red pepper. Toss together and let sit on counter to allow flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature.

*Cannellini, northern and navy beans all come from a common ancestor, the pole bean. If you can’t find cannellini beans, feel free to substitute northern or navy, although cannellini beans will be the most creamy and delicious.