Name: Herbed White Bean and Olive Salad
Ingredients: Cannellini Beans (2 cans, 15-ounce each): These large, kidney-shaped white beans are the star of the show, prized for their incredibly creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor that beautifully absorbs the dressing. Be sure to rinse and drain them well to remove the starchy canning liquid.; Kalamata Olives (1 cup, pitted and halved): Hailing from Greece, these almond-shaped, deep purple olives provide a necessary punch of salty, briny, and fruity flavor that cuts through the creaminess of the beans. Halving them ensures you get a burst of olive in almost every bite.; Red Onion (1/2 medium, finely diced): Adds a sharp, pungent crunch and a beautiful jewel-toned color. Dicing it finely allows its flavor to distribute evenly without overpowering the other ingredients.; Fresh Parsley (1 cup, chopped): Don’t be shy with the parsley! Using a generous amount of this fresh, bright, and slightly peppery herb is crucial. It brings the whole salad to life and gives it that signature “herbed” quality. Flat-leaf or Italian parsley is preferred for its robust flavor.; Fresh Dill (1/4 cup, chopped): Dill adds a unique, slightly anise-like, and wonderfully aromatic note that pairs exceptionally well with lemon and beans. It provides a layer of complexity that elevates the salad from simple to sophisticated.; Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (1/2 cup): The backbone of the dressing. A good quality extra-virgin olive oil will lend a fruity, peppery flavor that ties everything together. This is the time to use the good stuff.; Lemon (1 large, juiced and zested): Both the zest and the juice are essential. The zest provides a fragrant, floral lemon essence without too much acidity, while the juice brings the bright, zesty tang needed to balance the richness of the oil and the saltiness of the olives.; Garlic (2 cloves, minced): Provides a pungent, savory depth to the dressing. Mincing it very finely ensures it integrates smoothly and you don’t get any large, overpowering raw pieces.; Sea Salt (1 teaspoon, or to taste): Enhances all the other flavors in the salad. Start with a teaspoon and adjust after the salad has had time to marinate.; Black Pepper (1/2 teaspoon, freshly cracked): Adds a gentle, woody spice that complements the other ingredients. Freshly cracked pepper will always have more flavor than pre-ground.

Ingredients

Cannellini Beans (2 cans, 15-ounce each): These large, kidney-shaped white beans are the star of the show, prized for their incredibly creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor that beautifully absorbs the dressing. Be sure to rinse and drain them well to remove the starchy canning liquid.
Kalamata Olives (1 cup, pitted and halved): Hailing from Greece, these almond-shaped, deep purple olives provide a necessary punch of salty, briny, and fruity flavor that cuts through the creaminess of the beans. Halving them ensures you get a burst of olive in almost every bite.
Red Onion (1/2 medium, finely diced): Adds a sharp, pungent crunch and a beautiful jewel-toned color. Dicing it finely allows its flavor to distribute evenly without overpowering the other ingredients.
Fresh Parsley (1 cup, chopped): Don’t be shy with the parsley! Using a generous amount of this fresh, bright, and slightly peppery herb is crucial. It brings the whole salad to life and gives it that signature “herbed” quality. Flat-leaf or Italian parsley is preferred for its robust flavor.
Fresh Dill (1/4 cup, chopped): Dill adds a unique, slightly anise-like, and wonderfully aromatic note that pairs exceptionally well with lemon and beans. It provides a layer of complexity that elevates the salad from simple to sophisticated.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (1/2 cup): The backbone of the dressing. A good quality extra-virgin olive oil will lend a fruity, peppery flavor that ties everything together. This is the time to use the good stuff.
Lemon (1 large, juiced and zested): Both the zest and the juice are essential. The zest provides a fragrant, floral lemon essence without too much acidity, while the juice brings the bright, zesty tang needed to balance the richness of the oil and the saltiness of the olives.
Garlic (2 cloves, minced): Provides a pungent, savory depth to the dressing. Mincing it very finely ensures it integrates smoothly and you don’t get any large, overpowering raw pieces.
Sea Salt (1 teaspoon, or to taste): Enhances all the other flavors in the salad. Start with a teaspoon and adjust after the salad has had time to marinate.
Black Pepper (1/2 teaspoon, freshly cracked): Adds a gentle, woody spice that complements the other ingredients. Freshly cracked pepper will always have more flavor than pre-ground.

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Instructions

Prepare the Beans and Vegetables: Open the two cans of cannellini beans and pour them into a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. This step is crucial for washing away the excess sodium and starchy liquid from the can, resulting in a cleaner-tasting salad. Gently shake the colander to drain as much water as possible and set aside.
Dice and Chop: While the beans are draining, prepare your other components. Pit the Kalamata olives if they aren’t already, and slice them in half. Finely dice the half of a red onion. Wash and thoroughly dry your fresh parsley and dill, then chop them finely. Mince the garlic cloves. Zest the lemon first, then slice it in half and juice it. Keeping all your components prepped and ready will make the assembly process smooth and efficient.
Mellow the Onion: In a large mixing bowl (the one you will serve the salad in), combine the finely diced red onion with the fresh lemon juice. Give it a quick stir and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. This technique, called macerating, uses the acid from the lemon juice to soften the onion’s harsh, pungent bite, making it much more pleasant to eat raw while infusing it with a bright, citrusy flavor.
Create the Dressing: To the bowl with the macerated onion and lemon juice, add the extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk everything together vigorously until the oil and lemon juice emulsify, creating a slightly thickened, cohesive dressing. This ensures every ingredient in the salad will be evenly coated.
Combine All Ingredients: Add the drained cannellini beans, halved Kalamata olives, chopped fresh parsley, and chopped fresh dill to the bowl with the dressing.
Gently Toss: Using a large spoon or a rubber spatula, gently fold all the ingredients together. Be careful not to be too aggressive, as you want to keep the cannellini beans intact and avoid mashing them. Continue to fold until the beans, olives, and herbs are thoroughly coated in the herbed lemon dressing.
Marinate for Flavor: This is perhaps the most important step for the best possible flavor. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but ideally for 1 to 2 hours. This resting period allows the beans to absorb the dressing and for all the individual flavors to meld and deepen into a delicious, harmonious salad.
Final Taste and Serve: Before serving, give the salad one last gentle stir. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary. It may need another pinch of salt, a squeeze more of lemon juice, or an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 300