The “Yes I Can” Salad

Sometimes, we are given to ask ourselves: “Can I produce a healthy and tasty salad out of what I have in?” and today we show how, with a well-stocked pantry, the answer is “yes I can”, regardless of what is (or isn’t) in the fridge.

You will need

• 1 can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 can sardines (if vegetarian/vegan, substitute ½ can chickpeas, drained)
• 1 can mandarin segments
• 1 handful pitted black olives, from a jar (or from a can, if you want to keep the “yes I can” theme going)
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced (this can be from frozen, defrosted—sliced/chopped onion is always a good thing to have in your freezer, by the way; your writer here always has 1–6 lbs of chopped onions in hers, divided into 1lb bags)
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (this can be freeze-dried, but fresh is good if you have it)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 1 tsp honey (omit if you don’t care for sweetness; substitute with agave nectar if you do like sweetness but don’t want to use honey specifically)
• 1 tsp red chili flakes

Method

(we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

1) Combine the onion and the lemon juice in a small bowl, massaging gently

2) Mix (in another bowl) the miso paste with the chili flakes, chia seeds, honey, olive oil, and the spare juice from the can of mandarin segments, and whisk it to make a dressing.

3) Add the cannellini beans, sardines (break them into bite-size chunks), mandarin segments, olives, and parsley, tossing them thoroughly (but gently) in the dressing.

4) Top with the sliced onion, discarding the excess lemon juice, and serve:

Enjoy!

Want to learn more?

For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

• Three Daily Servings of Beans?
• We Are Such Stuff As Fish Are Made Of
• Chia: The Tiniest Seeds With The Most Value

Take care!