I am a big fan of mixed salads, as they are a great way to eat healthy but do not require too much time for the prep (Did I mention already that I am not one that loves spending long time in the kitchen??? Well, I don’t!). This avocado and cannellini beans mixed salad is a simple recipe, but has the great added value to be packed with nutrients, providing you with some carbohydrates, proteins, good fats, and fruit and vegetables.
Avocado and cannellini beans superstars
Avocado is definitely one of my favourite fruits, is versatile, delicious and very healthy. As you can see from the image above, it is indeed rich in fats, but the helpful kind of fats, and contains a good amount of fibre. I use it often as a base for my mixed salads, together with tomatoes.
Cannellini beans are an Italian variety of beans, originally cultivated in Tuscany, and are particularly tender, with a sweet and mild taste, that goes quite well with salads. As all the other type of beans, they are a good source of proteins and fibre, and they count towards one portion of your five a day.
Therefore, putting them together as the base for this avocado and cannellini beans mixed salad, the recipe is already ticking many boxes in terms of healthy benefits! (Check the Eatwell Guide to know more about the healthy balance of nutrients)
Avocado and cannellini beans mixed salad recipe
Ingredients (For 4 people)
1 can of Cannellini beans
4/5 big tomatoes
1 yellow or orange pepper
1 large avocado
1 can of sweetcorn
10 small frankfurters
For the dressing:
Extra virgin olive oil
Moustard
1/2 lemon squeezed
a pinch of salt
Preparation
Firstly, drain the sweetcorn, the cannellini beans and mix them together in a big salad bowl. Wash the pepper, cut it in small pieces and it to the mix.
Then wash the tomatoes, cut them in small pieces too, do the same with the avocado, and add everything to the mix.
Secondly, slice the frankfurters, and put them in a pan with no added oil, and let them cook for a couple of minutes, until they loose their pink colour and are tender. Once they are cooked, put them aside for 10 minutes to cool them down. Then add them to the mix.
Thirdly, prepare the salad dressing, mixing together the extra virgin olive oil, the mustard, the juice of half lemon, and a pinch of salt. Mix it together with a teaspoon until it is well homogenised, and season the mixed salad with it. It adds a fresh and zesty flavour to the salad, plus a top up of vitamin C!
The result is eye pleasing and incredibly tasteful, one of my favourite summer recipes. Serve it alone for a healthy dietetic meal, or with toasted wholemeal bread if you can go more free on the calories.
Avocado mixed salad variations
If you are not a fan of frankfurters, or simply want to try a different version, you can swap them with tuna. I enjoy this avocado mixed salad very much with tuna as well, and the taste goes perfectly with the cannellini beans as well. And if you fancy you can add a finely chopped onion, which adds a nice kick to the taste!
Do you like this colourful and quick recipe? Have a look to my Rainbow pasta recipe for further inspiration!