Cannellini bean salad with thyme and capers
- Lactose-free - Vegan - Gluten-free
Preparation time: 60 minutes - Difficulty level: easy
- 250 g dried cannellini beans
- 750 ml water
- 3 carrots
- 1 apple
- 1 pointed bell pepper
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small red onion
- 3 tsp capers and some of the stock
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, white or white wine vinegar
- ½ organic lemon, juice and a little zest
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin, ground cumin
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 30 g rocket
- ½ bunch small thyme or 3 tsp dried thyme
This delicious and filling salad makes a great addition to any buffet. Cannellini beans are white beans and slightly more tender than their sister, the white Gigantes bean. Not only does it provide us with vegetable protein and protein, it also comes with lots of summery flavors: thyme, lemon, rocket and parsley.
If you use dried beans, bear in mind the soaking time of 12 hours. It's quicker with canned/jarred beans. The salad tastes even better if you leave it to stand in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. You can also keep it there for 3 days - if it hasn't been eaten before then.
Preparation:
Prepare the beans by washing them thoroughly and then placing them in a bowl, covering with plenty of water and leaving to soak for at least 12 hours.
Strain the beans and place in a pan with the bay leaves, cumin and salt, cover well with water and cook for approx. 40 minutes until the beans are soft.
In the meantime, wash and peel the vegetables, chop as required and put half of them to one side. Halfway through the cooking time, add the vegetables to the pan and cook for another 20 minutes. Skim off the foam occasionally. Then drain the bean vegetables through a sieve (you can use the cooking water like aquafaba), remove the bay leaves, rinse with cold water and leave to cool further.
To make the dressing, put the lemon juice and zest, vinegar, capers, stock and olive oil in a container and mix well with a hand blender.
Continue with the vegetables, wash, quarter and core the apple and bell pepper and cut into small cubes. Place in a bowl with the celery, thyme and beans and mix with the dressing. Season the salad with the spices and leave to marinate in the fridge.
Before serving, wash the rocket and parsley, roughly chop and fold in.