Cannellini Bean Salad With Shaved Spring Vegetables Recipe (2024)

Tracking down cannellini beans to soak made all the difference. Rather than using a mandolin, I sliced the asparagus on the diagonal, and sliced other vegetables as thinly as possible. Quite tasty.

Since you don't care for the flavor of fennel, think texture when choosing substitutes (something with some crunch): celery, carrot, seedless cucumber, jicama, French beans, snap peas, various peppers, etc. Sliced thinly or a short bias cut; Norfolk's suggestion of a "Y" peeler is less hassle than a mandolin. This is infinitely adaptable. Follow your taste preferences, just be sure to add crunch to contrast with the beans. I like to serve this on a bed of arugula.

Try the anchovy paste in tubes. A little goes a long way but I use it all the time for depth of flavor and wee saltiness, but I, too, am not an anchovy fan. Worth a try.

This was super tasty. Served with some brown rice for a light supper. Only found young asparagus and shaved it with a lyre (y)-shaped peeler.

Add tuna and it's a worthy alternative to Salade Nicoise. Served over a bed of baby arugula.

Celery, maybe, for crunch?

Me 2...I'm thinking celery, baby boc choy or red peppers.

Never thought I'd like raw asparagus, but I've been converted! I used the thin slice on a diagonal method since I don't have a mandolin.
I felt the dressing needed more lemon, but maybe my olive oil was too strong.
I'd make this again.

Add lemon juice slowly, whisk vigorously to emulsify.

Jicama will give you the same crunch without the bitter notes.

As a vegetarian, I too was wondering what to replace the anchovies with. I am thinking some oil-cured olives might do the trick.

I often replace anchovies with preserved lemon. Salty, some umami.

Summertime beach house with three families who stuffed the fridge—this was a great fridge clean out recipe to use the radishes leftover from the Charlie Bird salad, veggie odds and ends, and a Granny Smith. Used mint and basil, canned beans, family loved it.

Served two as a light veggie dinner. Used parsley, but added a tbsp of freeze-dried dill to the vinaigrette. Probably would lighten up on the scallions if I made it again, and amp up the fennel, which was a little lost.

I didn't have any beans, so I added pine nuts and thinly sliced cauliflower and served it as a side dish. I'd like to try this recipe again as written. Not sure I liked the cauliflower flavor with the fennel bulb.

How do you cook cannelloni beans, once they have been soaked overnight?

Delicious! Used a little less olive oil in dressing, substituted chives for scallions and sliced smell red and orange mini peppers for the radishes. I was surprised how well the anchovies went with fennel. No asparagus, alas. My fennel seeds were old and brittle, so I just threw them into the dressing. Post quarantine I hope to try it with asparagus and radishes.

Delicious nutritious meal; served it over fresh from my garden red lettuce with tomato from the store. Anchovy paste worked well in the vinaigrette. I converted a bean naysayer.

Very nice salad. Bought some beautiful imported cannellini beans online. The fresh crunch of veggies and the soft beans made a great texture contrast. I love all the ingredients and especially anchovies - can't imagine the dish without them. I used basil and some of the fennel fronds as garnish.

Used a bit of finely chopped preserved lemon in place of the anchovy to keep it vegetarian. Served on a bed of brown rice and mesclun for a nice, light late spring lunch. This would be so, so good with a bit of chervil.

It is hard to say that I actually made this recipe because I substituted almost all of the main ingredients. However, as a template it worked well with the ingredients on hand, i.e. zucchini, a crisp tart apple and celery. I can imagine a few shavings of Parmesan could be nice.

Surprising how well the fennel and anchovies go together. I don't think I ever ate raw asparagus before. It all works.

Ramps are particularly good for the Spring onions.

That was great except that half of my cann. beans didn't cook through! I tested a bunch of them after soaking for just an hour and following the directions on the package. The salad part was really fun and I don't even own a mandolin slicer. Definitely will do this again and next time...I'll test each bean...

Add tuna and it's a worthy alternative to Salade Nicoise. Served over a bed of baby arugula.

Never thought I'd like raw asparagus, but I've been converted! I used the thin slice on a diagonal method since I don't have a mandolin.
I felt the dressing needed more lemon, but maybe my olive oil was too strong.
I'd make this again.