Create a super easy vegetarian salad that will soon become your favorite one! My cannellini cherry tomato salad is colorful and unforgettable.
Lip-smackin’ Yum! When I tried this salad at a recent family picnic, I knew I had to get the recipe. Of course, it was something I knew I could almost replicate by intuition and experimentation, but when you’ve found something good, you might as well go straight to the source – which I did.
How to Make An Unforgettable Vegetarian Side Dish
The secret to this salad is the simplicity. It doesn’t take very many ingredients. And the dressing is so minimal that you can focus on enjoying the flavors of the vegetables.
Ingredients
To make my cannellini and cherry tomato salad, you just need a few ingredients.
- Canned cannellini beans
- Zucchini squash
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
Are Cannellini Beans and White Kidney Beans the Same Thing?
Yes, cannellini beans are also called white kidney beans. So if you can’t find cannellini beans, look for white kidney beans.
A Family Recipe For Cookouts and Parties
This recipe traces back to our one-and-only Aunt Konnie – a classy example of rural refinement – who adapted it from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook. Besides being known for her yummy home-style cooking, Aunt Konnie can’t hold back how much she treasures family. Check out this sweet photo I snapped of her with her farmer-husband and their two sweet grandbabies.
When Konnie emailed me the recipe (with her notes) and I stirred these lovely ingredients together for the first time, I couldn’t resist adding a splash of feta cheese (my favorite!) so I’ve given it my own twist as well… and I ALWAYS encourage my readers to adapt and play with recipes to hone them to satisfy their own unique tastes and preferences.
So here you have it, a wonderful starting place for adding zing to your next meal – which should really be hosted outdoors if you can swing it. You just can’t beat this early autumn weather when even in the Midwest it feels like you’re in SoCal with highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s and bright sunshiny days!
Cannellini and Cherry Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 15-oz. can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 small zucchini squash, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (or whole if they are small)
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- 2 Tbs lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all “chunky” ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), any spices and the fresh chopped herbs.
- Pour the homemade dressing over the bean, veggie and cheese mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Let stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
More Party Food Recipes
Here are some more recipes that are perfect for cookouts and parties.
Sounds great. I love feta and tend to think it makes just about everything better.