Cannellini Bean Salad with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes makes a lovely light lunch or can be enjoyed as a refreshing side, or take it to a picnic, potluck. It is naturally vegan & gluten-free.

I have been intentionally taking a break from the social media + blog duties on the weekend and it’s been glorious. As much as I love social media and connecting with everyone in the digital world, lately it’s been exhausting. WordPress tells me that I have published 620 posts within the last 5 years (an average of 10 posts per month) and I am seriously considering cutting it down even more. Anyways, heres to 621st post to commemorate the Spring Equinox with Cannellini Bean Salad with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. It’s my idea of a Spring dish -a light, refreshing, bright salad that comes together in 5 minutes or less and requires no cooking.

Cannellini Bean Salad with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes requires few ingredients that are simply chopped and mixed in together. I highly suggest you to make a large batch and enjoy it throughout the week.

Cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans) have a silky texture, slightly nutty flavor, and are a wonderful source of protein, fiber, iron (per 1/2 cup cooked has 6 grams fiber, 7 grams protein, and 8 mg iron).

You can enjoy Cannellini Bean Salad with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes as a main dish by itself, as a side dish with grilled meat or veggies, with endive or lettuce cups for an appetizer, or smash it together as a sandwich like Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Sandwich.

You can purchase cannellini beans dried or canned at most grocery stores. Mostly, I opt for dried beans and cook them but canned beans are a convenient, relatively inexpensive source of plant-based protein, and a pantry staple for me.

Legumes 101 // Basics of Cooking Legumes

I have been dealing with a broken faucet and no running water in the kitchen since Saturday morning so my newly opened neighborhood Tom Thumb came to a rescue (they had sent me a gift card + few pantry staples including cannellini bean so that came super handy). It’s always nice when you find out that more grocery stores are stocking up on your favorite ingredients, variety of produce, and a large selection of healthy living type items.

Cannellini Bean Salad with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves: 4 – 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients

• 1-15.5 oz cannellini bean, low-sodium canned, rinsed
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoon chopped basil
• 3 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 10 olives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
3. Store it in an airtight container for 2-4 days.

I would love to hear your thoughts on social media, blogging & exhaustion. How do you balance it? Taking weekends off has been super helpful to me.

Linking up with The Fit Foodie Mama, Confession of a Mother Runner, A Whisk and Two Wandsfor Meatless Monday!