Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad with Creamy White Bean Dressing

An image of the Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad featuring Creamy White Bean Dressing

Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad with Creamy White Bean Dressing

With its earthy flavor, robust texture, and stellar nutritional accolades, it’s been hard to miss kale’s ascension to stardom. This kale salad with white beans, fennel, edamame, and a parmesan crisp is sure to please. In place of less healthful ingredients like sour cream or mayonnaise typically used in creamy dressings, Chef Scott achieves the same richness by blending white beans into the dressing. To download a Spanish translation of this recipe click here.

Course: Salads

Bean type: White bean

Nutrition attribute: Vegetarian

Collection: Chef Creation, Video

Servings:

Calories: 350kcal

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Ingredients

Kale Salad

3 cups Tuscan or black kale shredded
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans drained and rinsed (**Save ¼ cup of beans for the dressing!)
1 bulb fennel stemmed, shaved
½ cup edamame shelled
½ cup carrots grated
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon Tamari soy sauce

Creamy White Bean Dressing

¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon shallots minced
¼ cup cannellini beans drained and rinsed
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
water used to thin, as needed
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cheese Crisps

2 ounces Pecorino cheese finely grated

Instructions

For the killer salad: In a large bowl, add the kale and beans. Add the fennel, edamame, carrots, and chill the whole bowl.
Toast the pumpkin seeds: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the pumpkin seeds in a small bowl with the tamari and toss to coat, then spread on a sheet pan and toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
For the dressing: Place the lemon juice and zest, lime juice, mustard, shallots, and the beans in a blender and purée until smooth. Add the olive oil all at once and purée again until combined; thin if necessary with water. Season with kosher salt and pepper as needed.
For the cheese crisps: Grate the cheese and on a Silpat, make 8 small little mounds, bake at 350°F for 4 to 6 minutes; let cool. Set aside remaining cheese to add to the salad.
Assemble the salad: Add enough dressing to the salad in the bowl and toss to coat evenly; add more to taste with a splash of lemon juice, if needed. Place a small mound on a chilled plate, top with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a cheese crisp. Serve.

Notes

Recipe developed by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service to the Northarvest Bean Growers Association.

Nutrition