Broccoli rabe salad White Bean With Sun-dried Tomatoes works equally well as a side dish alongside a roasted chicken or as a standalone vegetarian main. The broccoli rabe is bright and works wonderfully with the sweet chewiness of the sundried tomatoes.
What Is Broccoli Rabe?
A Mediterranean member of the brassica family Broccoli Rabe appears in many Italian recipes. This green vegetable can be more nutty and bitter in flavor than broccoli.
Cooked right, broccoli rabe is tender, flavorful, and worth a try. Broccoli Rabe is a cool-weather crop that is an excellent ingredient for winter and early spring salads.
What do you need:
- Broccoli Rabe- This green vegetable has an assertive bitter flavor when raw, but a quick blanch in boiling water helps tame the flavor, leaving just a hint. You need about 3 cups of blanched broccoli rabe- with should be about 2 bunches. (Don’t worry about having the exact amount). Cut the thicker stalks in half lengthwise and then cut them into shorter lengths. It will make it easier to cook and eat.
- Canned White Bean- cannellini beans, great northern beans, or navy beans all work well for this recipe. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the salad. Learn more about the differences between different kinds of white beans.
- Fresh parsley- you could get away without the parsley, but I like the clean and peppery flavor of the parsley with the broccoli rabe.
- Sundried tomatoes- bring a sweet-tart flavor and perfectly chewy texture to this salad.
- Fresh-Shaved Parmesan Cheese- you really what to use fresh parmesan cheese for this recipe. ( there are some recipes that store-bought grated parmesan cheese works just fine- This is not one of those recipes. I would do crumbled feta if you don’t have fresh parmesan cheese.
- Red Onion- the sharpness of the red onion rounds out the flavors, and the purple is a beautiful contrast to the green.
How to cook Broccoli Rabe?
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 2-3 minutes, occasionally turning them in the water, so they cook evenly.
Test the broccoli rabe with a fork. You what to be able to slice throw the stem but for the vegetable to still have a little bite.
Remove the broccoli rabe and immediately place it into an ice bath until the broccoli is no longer warm. Drain and dry on a kitchen towel.
Preparing the Salad:
After cooking and cooling the broccoli rabe, drain and rinse the canned whited beans. Chop the sundried tomatoes, saving ¼ cup of the oil from the jar for the dressing.
Next, chop the red onion and parsley and combine them with the broccoli rabe, white beans, and sundried tomatoes in a larger serving bowl.
Using a vegetable peeler shave thin pieces of fresh parmesan cheese over the salad.
Make the sun-dried tomato dressing:
In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil vinegar, oregano, fresh ground pepper, salt, and oil drained from the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
You can serve the salad immediately, but It also holds up well in the refrigerator for an easy make-ahead meal.
What to Serve with Lentil Broccoli Salad
Lentil broccoli salad can be a complete meal on its own, but you can serve it as a side salad with stuffed summer squash, cheeseless pizza, a light soup, or homemade tomato sauce over pasta.
Looking for more Easy Make Ahead Salad:
- Lentil Quinoa Salad with Sundried Tomatoes
- Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad
- Coleslaw with Apples and Nuts
- Black Bean and Corn Salad with Honey and Line Dressing
- White Bean Salad with Shallots
- A Full list of Italian Summer Recipes
If you’ve tried this Broccoli Rabe White Bean With Sun-dried Tomatoes recipe or any other recipe on BalancingBowls, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to see more tasty meals.
Broccoli Rabe salad White Bean With Sun-dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Broccoli Rabe
- 1 can of white bean
- ¼ C minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ¼ C fresh parsley
- ¼ C red onion chopped
- ¼ C shaved parmesan cheese
- Dressing:
- ¼ C olive oil
- ¼ C oil drained from sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 T vinegar white or apple cider
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preparing the Salad:
- After cooking and cooling the broccoli rabe, drain and rinse the canned whited beans. Chop the sundried tomatoes, saving ¼ cup of the oil from the jar for the dressing.
- Next, chop the red onion and parsley and combine them with the broccoli rabe, white beans, and sundried tomatoes larger serving bowl.
- Using a vegetable peeler shave thin pieces of fresh parmesan cheese over the salad.
Make the sun-dried tomato dressing:
- In a small bowl or jar combine the olive oil vinegar, oregano, fresh ground pepper, salt and oil drained from the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix the ingredients until fully combined.
