The cold bean salad is a fresh and delicious main dish, perfect for a quick lunch. Quick and tasty, this semi-summer salad will win over everyone’s palate. It can also be prepared in advance and brought as a lunch box for an outdoor meal. It’s simply a variation of my bean, corn, tomato, and rosemary salad, which was very popular with the youngest in the family.
For this recipe, I used canned borlotti beans, but if you prefer, you can also use dried ones and cook them steamed or in a pressure cooker. I then added all the summer vegetables I had in the fridge: tomatoes, spring onion, carrots, and a few basil leaves for the right aroma. What do you think, shall we prepare it together? Then follow me into the kitchen because the cold bean and vegetable salad will be ready in a click!
Don’t miss other easy and quick salad recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
- Energy 257.73 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 30.75 (g) of which sugars 9.36 (g)
- Proteins 9.97 (g)
- Fat 10.39 (g) of which saturated 1.37 (g)of which unsaturated 0.11 (g)
- Fibers 9.55 (g)
- Sodium 1,951.11 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 265 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 package canned borlotti beans
- 1 red spring onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
- 2 carrots
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- basil (fresh to taste)
Tools
- Colander
- Bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
Steps
To prepare the cold bean salad, first drain the beans if using canned ones and rinse them very well under water. Alternatively, if using dried ones, wash them and soak them the night before in a large bowl with cold water. The next morning, drain them and put them in a pot with water, bay leaf, and a clove of garlic. Cook them for about an hour over low heat, and after cooking, let them cool in their water. To cook dried beans, you can also use a pressure cooker. Proceed in the same way, but halve the cooking times, which may vary depending on the type of pot you have.
Then transfer the beans to a bowl and set them aside. Now wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half or quarters, depending on their size. Clean the spring onion, cut it in half, and slice it thinly. Then dice the carrots into small cubes after cleaning them, and add all these vegetables to the beans with a few torn basil leaves. Finally, season with oil and adjust salt and pepper.
The cold bean and vegetable salad is ready! Mix and serve.
Variations and Tips for Cold Bean Salad
The bean salad can be prepared in advance without dressing and stored in the refrigerator for up to one day.
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FAQ Questions and Answers for Cold Bean Salad
What can I substitute for beans?
Instead of borlotti beans, you can use cannellini beans or replace them with chickpeas. You can also add raw celery, pumpkin quickly cooked in a pan, and other herbs to your liking.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes, you can use dried beans instead of canned ones. In this case, I recommend soaking them the night before in a large bowl with cold water. The next morning, drain the beans and place them in a pot with hot water, bay leaf, and a clove of garlic. Cook them for about an hour over low heat, and after cooking, adjust the salt and let them cool in their water. To cook dried beans, you can also use a pressure cooker. Proceed in the same way but halve the cooking times, which may vary depending on the type of pot you have.
Why are beans salted at the end of cooking?
It’s very important to salt the beans at the end of cooking to prevent them from falling apart and the skin from breaking. Also, to avoid getting hard beans, I recommend using hot water for cooking them.
How can I reuse the canned bean water?
The canned bean water is an excellent thickener for soups, stews, purees, and casseroles.
