This White Bean Fennel Salad is a great side dish. Crunchy fennel, tender white beans, and sharp Romano cheese go great with the creamy garlic-lemon dressing. I promise you'll be reaching for seconds!
1cupcooked white beans, such as navy or great northern
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼cupfreshly shredded or thinly sliced Parmesan or Romano cheese
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the minced garlic and lemon juice (reserve the lemon zest for later!). Set aside while you prepare the salad.
Thinly slice the fennel bulb. (Detailed instructions for how to do this: Remove the upper stems from the fennel bulb and discard or save these for soup or broth. Cut the bottom "root" part off the fennel bulb and discard. Slice the fennel bulb in half from the top, and carve out the center stem. Thinly slice the layers of the fennel bulb).
Combine the sliced fennel, lemon zest, diced scallion, diced parsley leaves, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, white beans, and the garlic-lemon juice mixture. Mix well and season with salt and pepper, to taste (a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper will do!). Add 1 more tablespoon of mayonnaise, if desired (you might need this if you have a large fennel bulb). Gently stir in the shredded or sliced Parmesan or Romano cheese. Serve immediately or keep chilled in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before serving.
Notes
This salad is great when served immediately because it retains all the crunch of the fennel. However, it is also really good after sitting in the refrigerator overnight - all the flavors meld together and the fennel softens.