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Marinated Italian White Bean and Celery Salad with Basil

MARINATED ITALIAN WHITE BEAN AND CELERY SALAD WITH BASIL

Serves: 4 to 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

This quick and easy salad is great as a side dish. Alternately, it works well served over a plate of salad greens, especially since the marinade does double-duty for the dressing. It has a nice crunch, thanks to the celery and peppers. Perfect as a summer picnic or barbeque dish.

Marinade:

1. In a small bowl, add and whisk together:

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, water, or vegetable broth

2. Taste; if necessary, dilute with additional oil, water or broth to reduce tartness.

3. Set aside.

Salad:

4. In a medium-large bowl, add and toss together:

Two (15-oz.) cans Italian white beans (Cannellini or butter beans), rinsed and drained

1½ cups thinly sliced celery

1 medium red or green bell pepper, diced

1 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

5. Add dressing and toss to distribute.

6. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes:

· Marinade Variation: Substitute ½ cup balsamic vinegar for the lemon marinade.

· Salad Variations: Add any vegetable variation of choice, such as quartered and sliced English cucumbers, diced red onion, chopped Kalamata olives, tiny broccoli florets, diced, sliced or julienned carrots, zucchini or yellow crookneck squash, or, just before serving, toss in 1 to 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes or whole grape tomatoes.

· Red Onion Tip: To eat raw, some red onions are sweet. Some, especially as they age, are bitter or too hot and can cause indigestion problems. You can calm them down by first slicing or dicing as desired. Then, in a strainer, rinse under very cold water for a minute or two. Set aside to drain. They make a sweet, crunchy addition to your dishes. The extra bonus? No heartburn and no onion breath!!