This bountiful Kale White Bean Salad is packed with colorful vegetables and hearty white beans, then dressed in a charred green onion vinaigrette. During the summer, I’m always looking for simple, make-ahead salads to pull out at the dinner hour. This one is perfect.
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Scallions are one of the few ingredients I keep stocked in my fridge year round. They’re inexpensive, readily available in the grocery store, and add a pop of color and herbaceousness to practically any recipe.
One of my favorite ways to use them is charred, which was first introduced to me as a cooking method by way of backyard carne asadas, where charred Mexican spring onions get drizzled in soy and Worcestershire sauce and become a side dish with star appeal. (As in, last week, I brought ‘all the fixings’ for carne asada home from our local Mexican market and DIDN’T buy the spring onions and was playfully reminded of my error 3 times before we sat down to eat.)
They’re also particularly good in this salad dressing recipe. I love using them to bring a can of beans to life, and the depth of flavor you get from charring the onions is a flavorful but not overpowering way to celebrate seasonal produce.
Ingredients
- Kale: Any type of kale will work here. I’ve been growing lacinato kale (AKA Tuscan Kale), so that’s what I’m working with, but you can use curly kale if you prefer. You can also swap for Swiss chard, but note that Swiss chard behaves more like regular lettuce, so I recommend using it as a base, using only what you need, so that the leftovers keep well.
- Cannellini beans: Any white bean will work here. I’m using cannellini, but you can also use Great Northern.
- Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lime juice: You’ll massage them into the raw kale to help the leaves soften. Then, you’ll use them in the charred green onion vinaigrette.
- Corn, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onion: bright summer vegetables that add so much natural sweetness and loads of different textures.
- Avocado: For creamy texture.
- Cilantro: A little something fresh to go with our charred green onion; it’s such a natural choice for the flavors in this salad.
- Scallions: Charred, not burnt, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t added these scallions to ALL your salads. The fastest option for making this component is on your grill, but if you don’t have one, you can sautee your onions for 6-7 minutes for a similar result.
- Mayonnaise: For a smooth, creamy salad.
Substitutions
Kale: For a 1:1 swap, you could swap finely shredded coleslaw. You can also use Swiss chard, spinach, or rocket for the Kale, but note that I dont recommend tossing them with the salad unless you think you’ll eat it all in one sitting. Instead, dress the greens in bit of olive oil right before serving and then top with the rest of the prepared salad.
Other veggies: add or sub veggies for other summer produce you have on hand. De-seeded cucumber slices, bell pepper, or even green beans would all taste great in this salad.
How to Make This Salad: Step-By-Step Instructions
- Grill corn and scallions.
- Make the dressing. Finely mince the scallions and add to a small bowl. Add all of the other dressing ingredients except the olive oil. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season to taste, starting with a scant ⅛ teaspoon of salt and increasing as needed.
- Make the salad. Once cool enough to handle, remove the corn from the cob. Add it a to a large serving bowl. To the same bowl, add beans and chopped veggies. Pour charred green onion dressing over the salad. Taste, and adjust as needed with more salt, vinegar, or oil to taste.
- Serve immediately or let sit for up to 3 days! This salad gets better as the flavors meld together. Even 30 minutes is enough to make a noticeable difference.
Storage
This salad gets better as it sits, so don’t be afraid to make this ahead of time. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. (Longer and the tomatoes and kales will start to be a bit sad.)
More of My Favorite Salads
Say good bye to sad, soggy lettuce and jazz up meal time with a few more salad recipes; make them as is or use them as a jumping off point and let your creativity shine!
- Grilled Romaine Greek Salad: A punchy, briny little number that’s loaded with flavor and texture. Another perfect summer salad.
- Beet Cucumber Salad: I just can’t think of a prettier salad. It’s also simple, citrusy, and sweet.
- Swiss Chard Salad with Garlicky Breadcrumbs: A family favorite… because who knew your salad could be a vessel for bread?!
📖 Recipe
Kale White Bean Salad with Charred Green Onion Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Kale White Bean Salad
- 1 bunch kale stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 ears corn
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- ½ medium red onion diced (approximately 1 cup), small dice
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
Charred Green Onion Vinaigrette
- 3-4 green onions (scallions) cut lengthwise from green tip to white tip, drizzled in a teaspoon or two of oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar or honey, to taste
Instructions
- Grill corn and scallions. Get a grill going – you want your grill to be hot (or, at the very least, 450F-500F). Your corn will take 10-12 minutes to cook and the scallions will only take 5 minutes or so. You’ll want a pair of grilling tongs you can use to rotate veggies. The corn doesn’t need to be babied quite so much, but you’ll want to flip the scallions a couple of minutes in. For each of these, there’s no real recipe for doneness – it’s more about personal preference. See NOTES if you don’t have a grill. Remove once cooked through and turn off the grill.
- Massage your kale! Spritz with a bit of lemon juice and drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and use your hands to help soften it up. It makes all the difference!
- Make the dressing. Finely mince the scallions and add to a small bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise to a bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste.
- Make the salad. Once cool enough to handle, remove the corn from the cob. Add it a to a large serving bowl. To the same bowl, add 2 cans cannellini beans, 1 diced avocado, 1 diced zucchini, 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (halved), ½ of a diced red onion, and ¼ cup cilantro. Toss with salad tongs. Pour charred green onion dressing over the salad. Taste, and adjust as needed with more salt, vinegar, or oil to taste.
- Serve immediately or let sit for up to 3 days! This salad gets better as the flavors meld together. Even 30 minutes is enough to make a noticeable difference. I often pair this with salmon, so I’ll prepare this first and set it aside while I prep and bake the salmon.
Notes
- This lemony dill sheet pan chicken and broccoli.
- Or perhaps these Easy Cuban Sliders.
- And finally, they’d really brighten up these 4 ingredient pork chops!
