holiday white bean salad
a beautiful, delicious, easy side for the winter table
Welcome to mamaeats, a twice-weekly newsletter (Tues. & Sat.) inspired by a simple + seasonal home life. I’m a mother of three, avid reader, gardener, and home cook who focuses on nourishing, plant based, whole food meals. Subscribe below for weekly meal plans, reading and garden talk, and simple living inspiration.
We have a beautiful ‘Parfianka’ pomegranate tree which I planted during the pandemic, and this year it bore loads of its heavy red orbs, weighing down the spindly branches low to the ground. When the leaves drop, the fruit appears as ornaments on the winter branches, fitting for the time of year. It was such a luxury to harvest armfuls of them this season. We gave many away, and the rest we kept in the fridge to use over the season.
Pomegranates are such a mystical and beautiful ancient fruit. They have symbolized fertility and abundance across many cultures; even eternal life. “Eat a pomegranate and visit a bath; your youth will haste back.” says an ancient Egyptian proverb.
I can’t promise this simple salad with white beans and pomegranate will turn back the clock for you, but it is loaded with fiber, nutrients and flavor. It’s proven to be a staple for us in the autumn and winter months, until the pomegranates run out; the winter version of my favorite summer bean salad. It is always on our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables—with its beautiful color and refreshing taste, it looks lovely while also being a nice counterbalance to the often richer foods served this time of year.
We just served it alongside latkes and a green salad last night, where it was right at home. I’ve also often had it as a quick lefotvers lunch with a good hunk of baguette or some roasted butternut squash added in.
All my children love it, and leftovers keep quite well on the fridge for a few days afterward. I hope you will love it too!
winter white bean salad with parsley and pomegranate
notes: sometimes I like to add fresh mint leaves along with the parsley, it makes a good variation. Also try adding green onions in lieu of shallots. If you are using canned beans, be sure to rinse them very well, and you’ll need 2 x 14.5 oz cans. If you have the time and inclination, though, fresh cooked make this excellent. Soak 1 cup of dry cannellini beans overnight in plenty of water on the counter, and the next day, cook till tender but not falling apart before draining and using them in the recipe. You can use either flat leaf or curly parsley here, I slightly prefer curly parsley in this application for its ability to “cling” to the beans, but either works just fine.
3 cups cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained of any liquid
1 small bunch parsley, chopped fine
1 small shallot, minced
1 large pomegranate, deseeded
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix well. Taste and season again with if needed with more olive oil, salt, or vinegar/lemon.
I made it. So delicious over chopped arugula.
This looks divine. Will definitely make it. Getting ready to print it.