Recipe by Kylie Sakaida - Dense Bean Caesar Salad
A vibrant spring upgrade to the classic Caesar. Crisp romaine gets topped with lemony herb-marinated cannellini beans, blanched asparagus, crunchy snap peas, and thinly sliced watermelon radish, all finished with toasted almonds and fresh lemon zest. Fresh, filling, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 (9.9-ounce) packages Fresh Express® Chopped Caesar Salad Kit
- 1 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed
- 2 watermelon radishes, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- Marinate the beans: In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add canned cannellini beans and toss to coat, set aside.
- Blanch the asparagus: Boil a small pot of salted water. Add asparagus and cook until bright green, around 2 minutes. Drain immediately and drop into a bowl of ice water for 2 min then pat dry.
- Toast the almonds: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast slivered almonds for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Pour onto a plate to cool.
- Build the salad: Empty the romaine from Fresh Express® Chopped Caesar Salad Kits into a large bowl. Then add the marinated cannellini beans, asparagus tips, watermelon radish, and sugar snap peas on top.
- Top and serve: Top with toasted slivered almonds, croutons and Parmesan, zested lemon, and the dressing packets and toss. Serve right away.