White Bean and Salmon Salad

Do you ever arrive home from work so hungry that your brain can't even begin to plan dinner? I do. In cases like this, I need food fast! And I need something with lots of protein, but that's not too heavy. Last night, this salad did the trick. Using just a couple of ingredients I found in the pantry, and some fresh herbs from the garden, dinner was delicious and on the plate in mere minutes.

White Bean and Salmon Salad
Serves 2

1 (540 ml) can of white kidney beans
1 (170 g) can of wild salmon
2 cups of baby spinach
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Drain and rinse beans and place them in a large bowl. If using regular salmon, drain the water, then remove the skin and bones and flake into the bowl with the beans. (I used tuna style flaked salmon, which was ready to use.) Add the spinach. In a small bowl or glass jar, add the herbs, the oil and vinegar and salt and pepper. Mix well and then pour over the bean mixture and toss well. Serve with a slice of dark rye bread.

Kitchen Improv:

This is one of those recipes that you could easily adapt based on what you have available. Try a different kind of beans, or use tuna instead of salmon, or swap out the vinegar or herbs for your favorites! Let me know if you come up with a winning combination.

Here's another really delicious example of this type of salad using lentils and tuna. I've made this recipe several times.