This white bean salad keeps the ingredients simple: creamy cannellini beans, crisp cucumber and plenty of fresh parsley. Guacamole Dust brings onion, coriander and lime to an olive-oil dressing without adding avocado. Give the salad a 15-minute refrigerator rest, then fold gently before serving.
2 cans cannellini beans (15 ounces / 425 g each), drained and rinsed; about 3 cups drained beans
1 cup (150 g) diced English cucumber
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
2 level teaspoons (10 ml) Desert Dust Guacamole Seasoning, plus up to 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) if needed
Directions
Drain the beans. Rinse the canned cannellini beans gently in a colander and let them drain well. Shake off excess water without crushing them. Wash and dry the cucumber, scallions and parsley.
Hydrate the dressing. In a large bowl, stir 2 level teaspoons Guacamole Dust into the lime juice and water. Let stand for 5 minutes while you prepare the vegetables, then whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the fresh ingredients. Cut the cucumber into small, even dice. If its center is very watery, scoop out the soft seeds first. Thinly slice the scallions and chop the parsley; measure the prepared ingredients.
Fold and chill. Add the drained beans, cucumber, scallions and parsley to the dressing. Fold with a broad spoon just until coated, keeping most beans intact. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Taste and serve. Fold once more, bringing dressing up from the bottom. Taste a bean with cucumber. If needed, add up to 1/2 level teaspoon more Dust and let it stand briefly. Serve cool alongside your main dish.
Yield: 4 side servings. Prep timing: 15 mins prep + 15 mins chilling.
The Dust In This Recipe
Guacamole Seasoning
$19.99
Make it with Desert Dust Guacamole Seasoning. Measure the Dust as listed, then taste before adding more seasoning.
✦Crystallized LimeBright lime brings the fresh, zesty kick.
✦Organic SpicesOnion, garlic, coriander and jalapeño build the savory base.
Canned cannellini beans give this salad a large, creamy bean with a skin that can hold its shape when handled gently. Great Northern beans are a practical substitute; navy beans are smaller and softer. Use about 3 cups of fully cooked, cooled beans if starting from dried. Do not add uncooked dried beans directly to a cold salad.
DO I NEED TO COOK CANNED BEANS FIRST?
No. Commercially canned beans are already cooked. Drain, rinse and let them dry off so their packing liquid does not dilute the dressing. Lower-sodium or no-salt-added beans make seasoning easier to control. Fold with a spoon instead of vigorously tossing if the beans are particularly soft.
WHY USE GUACAMOLE DUST IN A BEAN SALAD?
The seasoning contains onion, garlic, coriander, jalapeno and lime crystals, which work in a lime dressing as well as in avocado. The ground dates add a little sweetness. Letting the Dust sit in the lime juice and water before adding oil helps it hydrate; a few fine spice flecks are normal.
HOW DO I KEEP THE SALAD FROM GETTING WATERY?
Drain the beans thoroughly and remove a watery cucumber seed center before dicing. Dry the washed herbs and scallions. A little dressing will collect beneath the beans during chilling; fold it back through before serving. For the crispest cucumber, make the salad the day you plan to eat it.
CAN I CHANGE THE HERBS OR USE LEMON?
Use the same volume of chopped cilantro in place of parsley, or a mixture of the two. Lemon juice can replace the measured lime juice, although the seasoning will still contribute lime flavor. Keep additions modest so the white beans remain the main ingredient. This version does not need cheese or avocado.
HOW LONG DOES IT KEEP, AND CAN I FREEZE IT?
Refrigerate in a clean covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days. Chill promptly; discard salad left out beyond 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep it cold for picnics. Freezing the assembled salad is not recommended because the cucumber and herbs lose their fresh texture.
DOES THE DRESSING NEED SALT OR CONTAIN MUSTARD?
Guacamole Dust already contains sea salt, so no separate salt is added at the start. Taste after chilling because bean brands differ. The current Guacamole ingredient list does not list mustard, dairy or egg, but check the actual packages for allergens and cross-contact information. Do not substitute prepared guacamole dip for the dry seasoning.
