White Bean and Spinach Salad - South Beach Diet

Quick and Healthy Salad Idea


Salads are a featured player on the South Beach Diet. What makes them so great is how healthy and versatile they are. Salads can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner as a hearty main entrée or as a lighter side dish. You can utilize a variety of foods to add flavor, such as cannellini beans, as in this bean and spinach salad recipe.

White Bean and Spinach Salad (Phase 1)
Description

Remarkably easy to prepare, this bean and spinach salad is also very tasty. Slice the red onion as thinly as possible; when you soak it in warm olive oil and lemon juice, the bite will mellow, leaving you with a sweet and flavorful red onion vinaigrette.



Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes



Serves 10



Ingredients

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups (2 ounces) packed baby spinach

Freshly ground black pepper



Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a large serving bowl; stir well.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until just warm, about 2 minutes. Slowly and carefully pour warm oil over onion mixture (it will sizzle a bit). Stir well to combine and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and spinach to the vinaigrette, and toss well to coat. Season with pepper to taste, and serve.

Nutritional information

Per serving:

130 calories

6 g fat (1 g sat)
15 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
4 g dietary fiber
320 mg sodium

From the South Beach Diet website