white bean and red onion salad

I would love to discuss the benefits of eating vegetables, but I’m afraid it would be a boring read and I don’t think even I could convince myself that those mushy green peas are actually good for me. So instead I will talk about the googly eyes I am currently making at vegetables. We all know that before marriage, falling in love, dating, exchanging phone numbers, and flirting, there is a point at which you lock eyes with someone and you say “I want that!” or, you know, something along those lines. This is what I refer to as the googley eyed stage.

Like most children, I went through many forced vegetable eating sessions.  I was told to plug my nose or mask the taste with something else on my plate, but people, seriously. The asparagus still tasted like asparagus no matter how many vats of butter were poured over it. Beans on the other hand I could gulp down before you placed the other portion of my dinner on the plate. So in an effort to really prod myself out of this refusal to eat vegetables, I chose beans. Don’t mock. They were good. I ate them all. So please oh please oh please weight fairy, be kind….

Alright, so you caught me. I said I was googly eying vegetables, but here I am eating the same ole’ stuff that I like without any hint of something new, and maybe perhaps green. So, I promise, there will be an actual green vegetable coming soon. But you might have to remind me. I seem to get selective amnesia when it comes to eating green things…Wait, pretend like I didn’t just say that…

White Bean and Red Onion Salad
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Serves 2

1 15 ounce can of white beans such as canneli
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dry herbs de provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Fresh herb such as parsley, sage or thyme for garnish, optional

In a medium bowl add onion and lemon juice and toss together. Add herbs, vinegar and oil and stir together. Cover and refrigerate for 15 – 30 minutes, letting the flavors come together.

Open can of beans, drain and rinse lightly in a colander. Shake a couple of times, letting any excess water drain out. Add to onion mixture. Toss together. Garnish with fresh herb and serve.