Post sponsored by Sub-Zero. See below for more details.
I'm rounding out salad month with inspiration for including salad when grilling out. I love homemade croutons but during the warmer months, it's not worth heating up the oven. Instead, I like to brush baguettes with a olive oil and grill until crisp. The cubed, grilled baguette is a perfect substitute for croutons and makes for an extremely hearty salad. This white bean salad is exactly the kind of salad I want when grilling out.
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The overall goal for Naturally Ella is to inspire people to eat real, fresh foods which is why when Sub-Zero asked me to share why fresh food matters to me as a part of its new Fresh Food Matters initiative, it was a no brainer. To me, fresh foods encompass produce, grains, legumes; anything that is minimally processed (i.e: not pumped full of a lot of extra or artificial ingredients).
These foods are the backbone for everything I make and is the are my version of healthy. Even though I didn't grow up with this mindset, I've made small changes over the years to get where I am today. I gather inspiration from the market, recipes are secondary to what's in season (not choosing a recipe then finding the ingredients), and most of all, have fun in the kitchen. Check out the Fresh Food Matters site to see more inspiring fresh food stories.
Also, and I think this is the coolest part of this campaign, every time you use the hashtag #FreshFoodMatters from now through July, Sub-Zero will donate $5 to Katie's Krops (a youth-led initiative to grow produce for those in need).
This white bean salad is a perfect example of how I work with fresh foods. Spring greens are tossed with homemade croutons, a simple homemade dressing, and white beans for protein. It's an easy salad that could be for lunch or a side dish for dinner (we grill out nearly every summer day, so salads like this are made frequently). For me, fresh foods are all about keeping meals simple, highlighting what's fresh and in season, and having fun in the kitchen to find the flavors I like best.
When it comes to beans, I have a natural tendency to grab chickpeas over white bean varieties. However, more and more, I'm reaching for cannellini beans to add meaty heft to meals and small navy beans for a mellow soup bean. Also, white beans can make for a smooth and creamy bean dip (in place of traditional hummus).
White Bean and Butternut Squash Salad
Quinoa White Bean Stew
Red Kuri Squash with White Bean Salad
Another wonderfully beautiful and simple recipe. I love the look of this salad and can't wait to try it out! Thank you ?
That is a beautiful salad!
Perfect salad with the right amount of crunch!
This looks gorgeous! So fresh. I can't wait to try this out!
I am loving salad month! What a great idea.
Hi Ella,
Gorgeous recipe as always. I have pretty much all of those ingredients in my kitchen cupboard, so I'm going to save this recipe and make it for lunch tomorrow!
Besma