Vegan Kale, Cannellini Bean and Sundried Tomato Salad
This nutritious kale and cannellini bean salad is quick to make and won’t break the bank
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This salad is so quick to put together, and it’s made of easy, affordable ingredients so it makes a perfect lunch whether you’re strapped for time, cash, or both.
Kale and cannellini bean salad also makes a great side dish, adding a perfect mix of greens, veggies, and protein to your meal with minimum effort.
The spicy Dijon mustard dressing adds a deep and warming flavour to this salad, which is just as delicious cold as it is served still warm.
Why use cannellini beans?
Cannellini beans are wonderfully nutritious. The are a great source of fibre and iron, and they pack in plenty of protein too (one portion of this salad provides you with 23g of protein!)
They’re also a great option because of their availability and affordability. Cannellini beans are the most commonly available white canned bean in the UK and tend to be fairly cheap, especially if you buy own-label.
If this isn’t the case where you’re located, other beans could definitely be used instead. Haricot beans or butter beans would make a great alternative. You could even use red kidney beans or black beans. Change it up to make a kale and bean salad that suits your budget and taste!
Is kale better cooked or raw?
Raw kale is considered to be a superfood as it’s an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals. Its leaves boast an incredible amount of vitamin C, so it can help to keep your immune system strong.
While cooking kale can lower its vitamin C and antioxidant content, it doesn’t completely deplete those nutrients. Cooked kale can still be very healthy for you.
However, kale’s high fibre content means that it can actually be much harder to digest when eaten raw, and can even cause an upset stomach if you increase your intake of this kind of fibre too quickly.
To preserve as many nutrients as possible, while still making your kale easier to digest, ensure you gently heat the leaves and don’t overcook it.
Top tip: If your sundried tomatoes come in oil, use this in place of the olive oil in the dressing for added flavour. This is also a great way to reduce waste!
This content was originally published here.
