Before we get to the events of yesterday evening, let's take a moment with this Zucchini Bean Salad which uses a lot of green ingredients, is completely vegan, has a dressing you make in 2 minutes flat and is super filling that you could easily serve more people with a small serving of this.
Yesterday after a little miscommunication (they gave next week as the date of arrival) I caught up with two very special friends, people who I've known their whole lives on their very first overseas adventure.
Taking them from Tower Bridge along the Thames past Globe theater, over the Millennium bridge that stands outside the Tate with them sitting on St Paul's steps for a photo before returning to the pathway cut alongside the river we made our way to Southbank, underneath the London eye then across Westminster Bridge to hear the chime of Big Ben before walking towards Charring Cross and standing in Trafalgar Square with a lot of other people who had only hours earlier protested for the Fifth of November.
We ended up finishing with drinks and dessert and soon I was saying goodby and on my way navigating the streets home in the icy temperatures of the early morning hours with birds chirping. Our night spent walking mainly to give them a glimpse of as much London as we could fit into the few precious hours they had before going on their way to their next destination with fireworks banging in the clear evening air somewhere out of sight.
Having now had the chance to catch up with a handful of people who I knew back in my homeland has been one of the biggest surprises of coming here. Seeing them again and having our connection be just as bold with honesty and laughter making it feel very unreal that 1) We're seeing each other here, and 2) Surely, it hasn't been a year-and-a-half since we last saw each other? has made this journey all the more worth it.
Playing a tour guide and a tourist in one hand while navigating the tube system and making memories are all apart of travel and while I don't have a job with so much time to spare it is the greatest magic to get to explore with wide new eyes a place that can so easily be taken for granted when you live, breath and work in a place.
With a lot of sweets lately, it was nice to make this salad of perfectly crispy cabbage and croutons with zucchini draped around the dish finished with beans that'll keep you full and a dressing so easy you could make it with your eyes closed (there is a blender involved so this is not a challenge to try).
How to prepare Zucchini Bean Salad
- Rub rub: Rub the garlic clove over your ciabatta.
- Bake: Bake the ciabatta and garlic clove until golden.
- Combine the greens: Combine your zucchini, beans, cabbage and avocado onto a serving plate.
- Dressing: Place the oil, mint and garlic clove into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Tear it up: Tear or cut your croutons into cubes and sprinkle over the salad.
- Drizzle: Drizzle the dressing over.
- Serve: Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips for the best Zucchini Bean Salad
Adding acidity to this salad: There is almost no acidity in this salad so a great addition if you feel it's lacking something (which I don't and love acidity) would be to add some lemon zest to the dressing for a little punch or serve with balsamic vinegar.
Adding meat to this vegan salad: If you aren't vegan, you could easily serve this with shredded chicken or halving the salad and serving in a wrap with fish would work beautifully.
More salads you'll enjoy
Spiced Salmon Salad
Corn Pesto Salad
Winter Chicken Salad
Zucchini Bean Salad
Recipe by Roamingtaste
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salad
2 slices ciabatta
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
2 medium zucchini's, ends removed and peeled
⅓ small cabbage, finely sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
Handful fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350F.
Rub the garlic clove over the ciabatta and brush a little olive oil over the top.
Place in the oven with the remaining garlic clove on the side.
Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted. Remove and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, combine the zucchini, cabbage, cannellini beans and avocado together.
Place the garlic clove, olive oil and mint leaves in a blender and blend to make your dressing.
Slice the ciabatta into cubes and sprinkle over the salad.
Place a serving onto a plate and drizzle over a portion of the dressing.
Serve immediately.
Print
Zucchini Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Lunch, Side
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy peeled zucchini is paired with finely chopped cabbage, beans and avocado and drizzled with an easy mint olive dressing and would be perfect for a side salad.
Ingredients
Salad
2 slices ciabatta
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
2 medium zucchini's, ends removed and peeled
⅓ small cabbage, finely sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 avocado, peeled, pit removed and sliced
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
Handful fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350F.
- Rub the garlic clove over the ciabatta and brush a little olive oil over the top.
- Place in the oven with the remaining garlic clove on the side.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted. Remove and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the zucchini, cabbage, cannellini beans and avocado together.
- Place the garlic clove, olive oil and mint leaves in a blender and blend to make your dressing.
- Slice the ciabatta into cubes and sprinkle over the salad.
- Place a serving onto a plate and drizzle over a portion of the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Adding acidity to this salad: There is almost no acidity in this salad so a great addition if you feel it's lacking something (which I don't and love acidity) would be to add some lemon zest to the dressing for a little punch or serve with balsamic vinegar.
Adding meat to this vegan salad: If you aren't vegan, you could easily serve this with shredded chicken or halving the salad and serving in a wrap with fish would work beautifully.
Recipe by Roamingtaste
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