As long as you have canned white beans on hand, this great summer salad literally takes 5 minutes to prepare. You can “beef’ it up with leftover grilled chicken, steak or tuna or chunks of baked ham.
2 cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tomato, diced
½ cucumber, seeded, if desired, and diced
½ fennel bulb, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Place all the ingredients in a large salad bowl and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours or serve immediately.