Warm White Bean Salad

I just got a new cookbook that I'm so excited about. It's the Martha Stewart Everyday Food "Great Food Fast" compilation. I've loved a lot of the recipes that have come out in the monthly publication and I was delighted to see a book. Here is one of the first recipes that I've tried. It is so simple with only a few ingredients and has a very fresh taste (besides it's high in fiber and low in fat, which is always a plus.) I'm sure I'll be posting a few other from this book in the near future! Enjoy!

Warm White Bean Salad

1 T. olive oil

1/2 small red onion, diced

2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, slivered

1 can (19 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 t. grated lemon zest

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

2 t. fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook stirring, until pepper is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans, lemon zest, and 1 c. water, and season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until beans have absorbed most of the liquid, about 10 minutes. stir in the lemon juice; season again with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

*I used yellow onion as I didn't have any red on hand and it turned out well. I'm sure the red onion would be lovely also! :)

p.s. the photo is courtesy of marthastewart.com, someday I will be that fancy of a photographer!