Cannellini Bean & Fresh Vege Salad

I had another 'I really don't want to go to the supermarket' day today so had to get creative about dinner. The result was further proof that necessity is indeed the mother of invention. The only meat in the freezer was lamb shanks or a whole free range chicken - and arriving home at 2pm dictacted that these were not options! I did however have 3 cans of cannellini beans! Yay! I love them, Simon's not so sure.

My resulting salad was fresh, vital and delicious. I really enjoyed the different textures - from the crsip fresh veges to the smooth avocado and the meaty cannellini beans.

Cannellini Bean & Fresh Vege Salad

1 small red onion
1 head of baby cos
1/2 red pepper
1 avocado
small handful fresh coriander leaves
1 can cannellini beans - drained
pepper

Dressing
2 T good quality olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 t garlic crushed
1/4 - 1/2 t ginger
salt

• First make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a shaker or jar and shaking. Alter seasoning to taster.
• Build in the bowl in the following order (so the beans and avocado don't smush through the salad):
• very finely sliced red onion
• red pepper cut into thin matchsticks
• cos - I removed the white cores from each leaf then used a plastic lettuce knife (to prevent the leaves from browning) to cut into thin curly bits
• roughly chopped coriander leaves
• freshly cracked black pepper
• pour the dressing through a fine sieve (the garlic will have infused through, and it's better without the lumps!) over the salad and toss at this point
• now add the cannellini beans and the diced avocado and gently mix before serving

Absolutely delicious and nutrionally - well, you can eat this meal and feel truely virtuous!