Tag: salads
Roasted Carrot + Avocado Salad (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)
If you can’t get to one of my favorite restaurants in New York City, ABC Kitchen, guess what? At least you can have their salad that took the city by storm. It became NYC famous in 2012, and those who know, know. It’s a flavor…
Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Almond Dressing (Vegetarian)
Here we are with a Hungry Lady Salad for those days when you feel like you should eat a salad but really want a big plate of pasta. Have both! This dish is so easy to throw together, and takes 15 minutes from start to…
Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons (Vegetarian)
This next Hungry Lady Salad I have for you is a total crowd pleaser. It’s beautiful and very flavorful from the basil pesto, garlic croutons, and balsamic glaze. This salad is a real lesson on the benefit of seasoning each component of a composed salad well. We are building lots of flavor here.
If you’ve never made your own croutons, and are intimidated by the idea, this recipe shows you just how easy and rewarding it is to do. Once I started making my own croutons, I never bought them again. I also never threw out a piece of stale bread again, because with this easy technique you’ll see bread you used to throw out in a whole new way.
This Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons is a special salad.
- Have I mentioned the croutons?! They are crunchy, salty, and do so much for the texture and flavor of this salad.
- White beans are an excellent plant based protein option, leaving you satisfied for the rest of your day.
- The pesto white beans are a great meal prep option to have in the fridge, for this salad or spooned onto toast for a vegetarian lunch.
what else can i use?
- I like to make batches of pesto, especially in the summer when basil is abundant and freeze in these portioned containers to use throughout the winter. However, you can use your favorite store bought pesto, and a vegan one to make this salad vegan.
- I suggest balsamic glaze to top this salad, but it is totally optional. If you do want to make it, simply boil balsamic vinegar until it’s syrupy and reduced to your liking to concentrate the flavors.
- Mixed greens can be used in place of the arugula as the base of the salad.
- I use a quality sourdough, or my homemade gluten-free bread for the croutons. Use any hearty loaf you have, just be sure not to use bread that is just baked as you want the bread to absorb the seasoning and dry out well in the oven.
This Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons is a great recipe for meal prep because:
The croutons can be made ahead and will stay crunchy for up to a week in the refrigerator
The pesto white beans will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator
It is a filling plant based lunch, or dinner side served with these Loaded Portabello Mushroom “Pizzas” or Spicy Fusilli Pasta with Tomato + Cream
If you make this Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here or post to Instagram and tag me. I love to hear your feedback and share your creations!
Pesto White Bean Salad with Garlic Croutons (Vegetarian)
Make this delicious plant based salad even easier with your favorite store bought pesto, but don't skip the homemade garlic croutons.
Equipment
- Large rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
Pesto White Bean Salad:
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup Basil Pesto homemade or store bought
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 oz arugula
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/8 tsp Kosher salt
- A few cracks of black pepper
- 2 cups Garlic croutons recipe below
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Glaze homemade or store bought (optional)
Garlic Croutons:
- 4 pieces of bread, a few days old
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 Degrees F.
- To make the croutons, cut stale bread into 1 inch cubes and add to a large baking sheet.
- Using clean hands, toss bread with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper making sure they are well coated.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until golden on all sides. Set aside to cool.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss white beans with pesto.
To serve:
- Arrange arugula and tomatoes on a large platter and toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Top with pesto white beans and garlic croutons.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if using, and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 14gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 509mgPotassium: 964mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1781IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Revolutionary Broccoli Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)
If you follow me on Instagram or Tik Tok, you know that I’ve started a Hungry Lady Salad series and this means LOTS of delicious, healthy, filling salads are coming your way. Perhaps you’ve tried the Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing. That…
Erewhon’s Famous Kale + White Bean Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)
Erewhon Market is a natural foods gourmet eatery and store in Los Angeles that draws a big celebrity crowd. If, like myself, you don’t live in LA, you may not have ever been. One of the dishes they are famous for is this Kale +…
The Best Mayo-Free Tuna Salad. (Paleo, Dairy Free, Gluten Free)
I’ve been making The Best Mayo-Free Tuna Salad for years, and I doubt I’ll ever tire of it.
I posted this recipe a few months ago on Tik Tok and it went viral overnight. I still get messages to this day from people who now consider this a staple in their kitchen.
I like a mayo based tuna salad too, don’t get me wrong, but this version is so incredibly flavorful and unique that it’s irresistable. I like to make it on a weekend and have an easy, nutritious lunch all throughout the week. It’s perfect for meal prep.
The pepperoncini are a star here, they add that burst of briny flavor that makes the salad come alive. I love to use their brine in the dressing too, to really turn up the volume.
“what else can I use?”
-
I like to use Genova tuna in olive oil for this (I buy it at Costco), but feel free to use the good quality tuna you like best.
-
Pepperoncini is really the game changer here, but if you don’t want to go out and buy some, you can use pickles instead.
- Red wine vinegar can be replaced with white wine, apple cider, or balsamic vinegar.
- Don’t care for capers? Omit them.
If you make this Mayo-Free Tuna Salad, and I hope you do, i want to hear from you! send me a message on instagram, or post a photo to your stories and tag me so I can share your creations. enjoy!
The Best Mayo-Free Tuna Salad
This new take on classic tuna salad swaps mayo for briny vegetables, herbs, and olive oil, making a delicious lunch you can meal prep for the week.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Can opener
Ingredients
- 4 cans Albacore tuna, packed in olive oil
- 1/2 cup white or red onion, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 6 pepperoncini peppers, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp capers, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pepperoncini brine
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) – (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
My husband declared this “Maybe the best salad I’ve ever made.” And I make a LOT of salads. Granted, it’s basically Mexican Street Corn in a bowl, and a popular dish in Mexico called Esquites. It is easy to make, filled with rich flavors that…
