Springtime White Bean Salad with Grilled Bread

Hello and happy spring!

I’d like to introduce the internet to my lovely sister Rachel- an amazing and very creative cook. Rachel and I have decided to combine our superpowers. From this point on she will be the creator of the recipes featured here and I will simply be photographing them. Welcome, Rach!

Sorry about the goofy iPhone photo… I need to bust out my DSLR next time I see my brother and sister. Rachel is the one on the left, my brother Joey is in the middle, and I’m on the right. =)

Rachel came up with an amazing spring salad. I’m so excited to share it with you guys. I ate it for dinner 3 nights in a row!

Take it away Rachel…

“My husband tends about 10 raised beds in our backyard . While mostly dormant in the winter months, it is bountiful as soon as spring breaks. Unless preserved, garden harvests and Farmers’ Market provisions should be used quickly to enjoy peak freshness and flavor. Salads can be a creative and playful way to do just that.

With the exception of the white beans, this is a raw salad and best enjoyed when in season. Here, in the Eastern Mid-Atlantic, all of the veggies in this salad are in available in the late spring. Don’t be tempted to make this dish in the winter months, you’ll be disappointed. When made in season, this is a delicious and satisfying-and it can be pulled together in a snap.” -Rachel

Ingredients

Vingairette (recipe follows)
2 cans of white beans, cannellini or northern white, drained and rinsed
2 medium fennel bulbs, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium broccoli crowns, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Asparagus spears, ends trimmed or snapped away, thinly chopped on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
Parsley, flat or curly, chopped (about 1 cup)
Green onions, tops and ends trimmed away, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
Juice and zest from one large lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rustic bread, rubbed with garlic and grilled
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Vinaigrette

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
A pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Using a mason jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette. With the lid on, shake vigorously until well-combined. Taste. Adjust the seasonings to your preference. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the white beans, fennel, broccoli, asparagus, parsley, garlic, green onions, the lemon juice and zest. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add about half of the vinaigrette. Toss again. Set the bowl aside.

When you are ready to serve, shake the vinaigrette before using, and add to the salad. Grill the bread to a golden color. To serve, arrange bread on a plate with a serving of the salad. Finish with a drizzle of oil olive. Enjoy.

Vanessa Rees

Springtime White Bean Salad with Grilled Bread