Easy white bean salad with croutons

I first put this salad together while spending a summer in Trieste, Italy, where my tiny kitchen didn’t allow for long ingredient lists or elaborate cooking. It quickly became my go-to lunch and often dinner too, on really hot days when I wanted something light, and fuss free. Hopefully this is a recipe where you already have everything you need sitting in your cupboards, so you can throw it together in no time and enjoy a meal that tastes fresh, and satisfying.

Serves 2

5-10 minutes prep

10-15 minutes cooking

Ingredients

For the salad

Fresh bread (which is a day or two old will work best)

½ block of tofu

Cornflour

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

¼ cucumber

10 cherry tomatoes

Handful of rocket

1 can of cannellini beans

10 green olives

4 sun-dried tomatoes

½ avocado

For the dressing

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

1 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (to your taste)

Method

1. Chop the cucumber and tomatoes into 1cm pieces and add to a mixing bowl with the rocket and beans

2. Chop the olives in half, the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces, and add to the bowl

3. Chop the avocado into 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl. Stir everything together

4. Next assemble the dressing. Put all the ingredients into a jar or jug and mix well - the dressing will separate, so mix again before serving

5. Chop the bread into 1 inch chunks. Toss in a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper

6. Heat a fry pan to a medium heat

7. Add the bread to the pan and fry for approximately 5 minutes until the bread is lightly fried - creating soft croutons

8. While the bread is cooking, slice the tofu into 4 - 6 strips. Cover in cornflour, salt and pepper

9. Once the bread is done, remove from the pan and add the tofu (add more oil if needed). Fry for 3 minutes on both sides until it is golden brown

10. Add the croutons to the salad

11. Once you’re ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and mix well, dish up and add the tofu on top.

Cooking notes

This salad is great without the tofu too. If you prefer, you could go without or add another meat alternative here - some faux chicken or salami would be great.

Meat version: Pan-fried chorizo

Since this is such a simple salad, I like to keep the meat option just as effortless. If you’re serving meat eaters and want them to feel like they’ve got a hearty, “proper” plate, simply add a little cured meat. Add some cured ham or some smoky chorizo, adding richness without stealing the spotlight from the freshness of the salad.

Ingredients

3 inches of chorizo

Method

1. Thinly slice the chorizo 

2. Heat a non-stick pan to a low-medium heat

3. Add the chorizo and cook for 1 minute on each side until the fat from the chorizo starts to melt in the pan and the chorizo is heated through

Cooking them side by side

1. Use one pan and do the tofu first following the steps above

2. Once your salad is assembled and the tofu is cooked, add the chorizo to the pan and lightly fry for 1 minute each side

3. Pour the chorizo directly from the pan onto the salad with the juices to enhance the flavour of the dressing

Serving ideas:

This salad also makes a fantastic side for a summer BBQ. In this case, I’d leave out the tofu and let the beans and croutons take centre stage, keeping the salad light alongside grilled dishes.