Arugula and White Bean Salad with Avocado Dressing

I’ve been trying to focus most of my desk-sitting hours to during the weekdays so I can have some semblance of normalcy a weekend. Sundays have almost been free during crazy-season [two weeks left!], so I take advantage of resting up or catching up on the things I’ve been neglecting during the week like laundry or the dog.

Last Sunday I went to the gym for the first time in two months. I was waking up an extra 45 minutes early to workout at home, but it’s just not the same. Andrew’s soccer season started up again, so that’s been happening on Sundays. I also went to the refrigerator New Seasons for more than just smoothie ingredients. I made dinner! Well, if making a salad counts anyway. It was totally springy and the sun was out. I turned on the grill and ate outside. A miracle. It’s the little things.

This salad has been on my mind since Adrianna posted it. Fresh and spicy arugula toned down with white beans and brightened up with cubed feta. The star of the show is totally the dressing. It would have been better had I actually found a ripe avocado that wasn’t $2.50, but I still loved it. It’s my kind of simple, utilizing just a few ingredients and a blender. Taste testing is important, but you have to know that it needs to be intense. This isn’t a dressing you want to drink on its own. It needs to leap up above the white beans to actually touch your tastebuds. I thought it seemed crazy, but it’s not. The first bite of the beans and greens will make it all make sense. Grilling spicy jerk chicken skewers made it even better. We’ll just ignore the part where I sat outside in my coat while I ate.

Inspiration: A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5oz fresh arugula
• 15oz canned white beans [cannellini or great northern or navy], rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint
• 1 handful Italian parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small shallot
• 1/2 of a medium avocado
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice from two lemons
• salt and pepper
• 2oz cubed feta

Preparation

In the bowl of a small food processor, add the mint, parsley, garlic cloves, and shallot. Process until finely minced. This can all be done by hand if you’re patient. I’m not. In a blender, scrape out the flesh of the avocado, the juice of a lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until chunky and start streaming in olive oil as it’s on the low setting. It’ll start to turn creamy. Add a little bit of water to get a nice smooth consistency. Taste for additional lemon, salt, and pepper. Remember, you want this to be overwhelmingly bright.

In a large bowl, add the greens, the beans, and the herb shallot mixture. Pour on 1/2-3/4 of the dressing, and use your hands [or tongs] to combine. Make sure everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Add more as necessary. Top with feta and a pinch of salt when serving.