Tuscan Bean Salad With Sage

This bean salad is by far one of the best I've ever had (and I eat a lot of them)! This recipe comes from A Taste of Italy (1996) from The American Cooking Guild. Here is the book's description: "Cannellini (white kidney) beans provide the mild background flavor for the crunchy, tangy, zesty ingredients in this dish. Serve this rustic salad with grilled meats or sausages. For a satisfying single-course meal, mix in a jar of imported drained tuna. Serve in a soup plate with crusty Italian bread. Do not add salt until beans are half cooked, or they will become tough." Prep time is for canned beans.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 (19 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  large red onion, sliced
•  salt and black pepper
• 3 -4  fresh sage leaves, minced
• 1  large garlic clove, minced
• 1  stalk celery, diced
• 1  small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
• 5  cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1⁄4 cup  brine-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice or 3  tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature.
2. DRY BEANS DIRECTIONS: May use 1-1/4 cups dried cannellini beans or 1/2 pound great northern beans, soaked overnight.
3. Drain soaked beans.
4. Place beans and onion in a medium pot; cover with 2 quarts of water. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Cook 30 minutes more or until tender but not mushy.
7. Drain. Place in a large bowl and cool.
8. When cool, stir in the remaining ingredients.
9. Serve at room temperature.
10. TIP: For those who don't like celery, use a vegetable peeler to remove the stringy bits on the back of the stalk. This makes the flavor milder and the texture more palatable.