White Bean Salad

My inspiration for this recipe came from an idea I saw in the Fast Weeknight Meals cookbook from Williams Sonoma.  I had four grilled sausages leftover from a fabulous BBQ we had this past weekend, and remembered having seen a recipe for Sausage with White Beans in one of my many cookbooks.

This white bean salad is light and delicious and is great as a side for your next BBQ or as a light snack on a hot summer day.  I paired it with a spicy Italian Sausage for dinner but honestly I could have stood in the kitchen and eaten the entire bowl of beans alone! 

Lucas and I recently planted some cilantro, oregano and basil, and I wanted to start using our fresh herbs, and I also wanted to use up food I already had in the kitchen rather than going to the store.  The recipe I came up with is below and I hope you all have a chance to try it!

Fresh Oregano From Our Patio Herb Garden

White Bean Salad:
- 1 can Great Northern Beans
- Sundried Tomatoes, to taste
(*Note: use the type that comes in a jar with oil, not in a resealable bag.  Use a fork when removing the sundried tomatoes from the jar so you drain some of the oil before mixing them in with everything else.  If you use the dry sundried tomatoes, I recommend adding a touch of olive oil to the mix as well.)
- 1/4 Jar of Marinated Artichokes, chopped
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- Feta Cheese, to taste
- Fresh Oregano, minced (1 T)
- Lemon Juice (1 T)
- White Vinegar (1.5 T)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

*Note: Measurements are an estimate which is why they are in parentheses following the ingredient.  Just with all food, this type of side is something that should be made to taste, so add a touch of everything, particularly the lemon juice, vinegar and salt & pepper, and continue adding more of each ingredient until it tastes just right!

1. Drain and rinse the beans and put them in a medium sized bowl
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well
3. Enjoy! ...any additional salad can always be stored in the fridge and served chilled as well!

Sausage Tastes So Much Better Than It Looks...

I think this side / salad would be paired best with meat such as sausage or a citrus marinated chicken, but it could also work well as a side for a BBQ....potentially a healthier option instead of potato salad for the upcoming holiday weekend?!

Bon Appetit!