White Bean, Cucumber & Sesame Salad

This hearty, slightly unusual White Bean, Cucumber and Sesame Salad is equally as good for a simply lunch as it is served as a side dish on your summer table, or as a simple supper alongside some oily grilled mackerel. Jarred beans add creaminess and heft, hunks of cucumber add freshness and crunch, and the unusual combination of Asian toasted sesame oil and Middle Eastern-inspired sumac, parsley and lemon juice make for a many textured, many flavoured white bean and cucumber salad everyone will want to ask you about.

Every summer my parents grow a massive glut of cucumbers, which is absolutely fine because the three of us are absolute cucumber fiends. But, that means we also get lots of chances to experiment with different cucumber recipes, and the last time we were over at their house to make dinner together I’d just seen Alison Roman’s recipe for Cucumbers with Red Onion and Sesame. It seemed so unusual, with the combination of sesame and sumac (along with plenty of fresh lemon, and a choice of more lemon, lime or white wine or rice vinegar, and a choice of soft herbs) I threw it together with curiosity as the barbecue was being fired up for the lamb chops.

My verdict? It was a very good, very unusual salad where the Far East – meets – Middle East flavours really, really complimented each other. But the directions did not suit me as a cook (a bit too fussy for my liking), and rather than the called for coriander, dill or mint I thought flat leaf parsley would play well with the onions, sumac and lemons. And because all of those things go fantastically with beans, this White Bean, Cucumber and Sesame Salad was born!

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White Bean, Cucumber and Sesame Salad

• Author: Rachel Phipps
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
• Category: Salads
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This easy White Bean, Cucumber and Sesame Salad with Sumac and Parsley is a simple, vibrant cucumber and bean salad perfect to serve as a quick lunch bowl, or as a side dish to grilled oily fish – it’s packed with different colours, flavours and textures!

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Ingredients

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• 1 small red onion
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 200g cucumber
• 300g jarred white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus a 1/4 lemon wedge
• zest 1/2 lemon
• flaky sea salt, to taste
• handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp sumac

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Instructions

1. Peel and finely slice the red onion into half moons. Place in a small bowl and pour over cold water, leaving to soak whilst you prepare the rest of the salad. This will remove some of the ‘bite’ and make them much nicer to enjoy raw!
2. In a small frying pan set over a medium heat, gently toast the sesame seeds until just golden, and set aside.
3. Roughly chop the cucumber into jagged, rough yet bite-sized chunks (don’t worry about peeling it) and toss into a large bowl with the white beans.
4. In another, smaller bowl whisk together the toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and a good pinch of salt.
5. Drain and pat dry the onions before adding them to the bowl along with the dressing and chopped parsley. Gently fold together and check the seasoning to see if you want to add any more salt or fresh lemon.
6. Tip the salad onto a serving platter and scatter over the sesame seeds and sumac before spritzing with the lemon wedge and sprinkling with flaky sea salt.

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Notes

To keep everything nice and crunchy this is best eaten as soon as it is made, and whilst any leftovers will be tasty, accept the textures won’t be there anymore. Happily, if you’re making this for just you if can easily be halved.

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