hi, friends! this is not a hot take, but holy MOLY it is HOT OUT. virginia feels like a dense rainforest canopy and it is literally wet and chewy outside by sunrise. i’ve been hyping teddy up for 6am walks when it’s almost, almost bearable, but the humidity is making my hair look insane and i want to do anything but turn on the stove right now. a saute pan? in this heat? aaaabsolutely not.
while i’d rather eat juicy, cool farmer’s market peaches for every single meal this time of year, my body and soul know that a real meal is necessary while curling up next to the air conditioning and willing my forehead to stop sweating.
this deli bean salad is kind of perfect for the heat dome: just a little chopping and tossing, NO COOKING NECESSARY! and you’ve got a cold, tangy, bright salad that is perfect for lunch or braving an outdoor picnic. it’s the kind of thing that gets better and better the longer it sits in the fridge, and i have been housing jars of it the last few days. *it’s weirdly a great jetlag accompaniment, too? my brain doesn’t know if it’s 6pm or 3am and somehow beans and olives are great at all hours of the day. it tastes like it came from the whole foods salad bar, but way better 🤝
a few things before we get started:
i am an outfit repeater: this is great for meal prep!!!
this is also a great way to use up leftover chicken. i poached a few chicken breasts and had them in the fridge, but you could use rotisserie chicken, pre-made chicken, or canned chicken - whatever makes your life easiest.
if you’re vegetarian or don’t want cold chicken, just skip it.
but don’t skip the herbs and the lemon juice. they’re what give this zhuzh and so much flavor.
deli bean salad
makes: 4-6 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: -
2 cans of cannelini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1c or 2 small cooked chicken breasts, diced
1c castelvetrano olives, sliced in half
1 shallot, minced
1/2c feta cheese
1/2c parsley, chopped
1/2c basil, chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1/4c white balsamic vinegar
big drizzle of olive oil
1tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
mix all the ingredients together. that’s it, seriously!
this deli bean salad is best eaten cold.
i’ll be honest that slovenia was never somewhere that was on my travel radar, so when my brother-in-law (and now sister-in-law!) decided to get married there, it was a cool opportunity to visit a place i never would have considered before. it’s tucked between italy and croatia and is by far one of the most beautiful places i have been. turquoise lakes! mountains! cute crumbly old towns from the 1600’s! a little tucked in corner of the adriatic sea! so many gorgeous hikes and i don’t even love hiking! it was all a lush, blue glittering dream.
must do’s:
visit lake bled. it’s packed with tourists and a lot of the restaurants that dot the lake feel gimicky, but the lake and island at it’s center are unbelievably gorgeous.
old town ljubljana was a fairytale. cobblestone streets, little gelato shops, and a castle atop the hill.
drive to piran and see the sea! i’ve not been to italy but it looked like what i imagine the italian coast feels like; sparkling water, thick roped fishing nets, and salty summer air. we rented bikes and rode to croatia and back, then jumped into the adriatic after eating freshly caught sea bass. this was one of those core memory days where my life felt like a movie.
stay in bohinj for the most beautiful mountain views. we walked around the lake just after sunrise, and i’m pretty sure i didn’t pick my jaw up off the ground until the flight home.