Something I am trying to be more conscious about is food waste and how to reduce it in my home. This recipe came to fruition as I was chopping up celery to roast and to use in a soup. I was trimming away the leaves from the celery and realized that they were a perfectly good and usable part of the vegetable so instead of throwing them away or saving them for a stock, I decided to set them aside in a colander to use later for salads. The mild celery flavor from the leaves compliments the smooth and creamy beans, bright lemon, sweet onion and spicy garlic perfectly! If you don’t have any celery at home, try using parsley or any other fresh herbs you may have on hand!
Cannellini Bean Salad
Makes 4 Servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 15 Ounce Can of Cannellini Beans
¼ of a Sweet Onion
1 Stalk Green Onion
1 Handful of Celery Leaves Chopped or Parsley
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice from ½ a Lemon
1 Clove of Garlic
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions:
1. Rinse the cannellini beans and drain. While they are draining, finely mince the ¼ of an onion and the garlic. Thinly slice the green onion, stopping when it gets to the white portion.
2. Clean and dry celery leaves (or parsley) and finely chop.
3. Add the drained beans, onion, garlic, green onion and celery leaves to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest if desired.
If you don’t have cannellini beans, use chick peas or navy beans instead. Lemon juice may also easily be substituted with 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Eat this recipe as a side, or pair with a protein for a full meal. How do you cut down on food waste? I would love to hear any tips you may have!
