Delicious Summer Salad All Year Long!

 

If Labor Day has you thinking about what comes next (in Upstate NY that would be winter), try this great recipe for a delicious summer salad that lets you enjoy the taste of summer salad all year long!

One of the saddest things for me about the end of summer is the waning availability of fresh salad and green fixin’s. The Adirondack growing season is uber short. Fresh salad greens, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs grow beautifully in the rich soil of our region, but it seems like they are here and gone in a flicker.

If Labor Day has you thinking about what comes next (in Upstate NY that would be an immediate winter in case I didn’t already mention it), this recipe allows you to enjoy a salad that has strong undertones of summer. Even in the frigid throes of January and February when sunshine is hard to come by, this recipe tastes fresh and delicious…and looks amazing. It’s easy to make with some fresh ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store. I have been making this salad since I first found it in the June 2006 Real Simple Magazine,

Three Bean Salad

Source: Real Simple Magazine, June 2006

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can of Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed(I like the dark red for color)
• 1 15 oz. can of Chick Peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 Stalks of Celery, finely chopped (I also chop up some celery leaves…they have the most flavor!)
• 1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 Tbls. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cannellini beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!