Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cans of cannellini beans drained and rinsed (with each can about 400 grams or 14 oz)
- 3.5 oz streaky bacon see note below
- 1 large sweet pepper or red bell pepper
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 oz parmesan shaved
- 8 oz sweet tomatoes baby plum or cherry tomatoes
For the Salad Dressing:
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tbsp of Dijon mustard
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing by combining the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, fresh parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the white beans and toss with the dressing until evenly coated. Let them sit while preparing the bacon & remaining salad ingredients. They’ll absorb a lot of the flavor from the dressing.
- Make the crispy bacon using your preferred method. This is mine: Take 2 baking sheets of an equal size. Then, place parchment paper/baking paper on one and add the bacon rashers on top. Cover with parchment paper and then place the second baking sheet on top. The second tray keeps them flat, allowing them to get evenly crisp. Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (or 200°C) until you achieve your desired crispiness, about 18-20 minutes. You could also make the crispy bacon in a frying pan on the stove or in an air fryer. Once the bacon cools, chop it up to add to the salad.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the salad: halved baby tomatoes, chopped crispy bacon, shaved parmesan, diced sweet pepper, and thinly sliced red onion. Gently toss until everything is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve with warm flatbreads.
Notes
Note: For a vegetarian version, replace the 3.5 oz of bacon with 1 large avocado and 2 oz of feta. Add the diced avocado flesh and crumbled feta to the other salad ingredients and toss. The vegetarian version would only take 10 minutes to make, as there's no cooking involved.
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and is an estimate only. See the full nutrition disclosure below.