Miso Cannellini Bean Salad with Salmon

Simple to prepare, this Cannellini Bean Salad combines umami miso and salty hot smoked salmon for a quick and surprisingly hearty lunch meal.

Why I Love Miso Cannellini Bean Salad with Salmon

We love miso baked salmon. A classic pairing with the sweet salmon flesh balanced with the fermented umami flavours of the miso. So why not use this delicious combination in a salad.

Rather than using fresh salmon, I’ve used hot smoked salmon. As this is rather salty, I mixed the miso paste with cannellini beans to add depth and bulk up the salad to create a full meal.

Quick and easy to prepare, I love the combination of flavours and a great idea for easy cheap meals.

Easy Meals Using Pantry Ingredients

This cannellini bean salad is one of those great pantry recipes.

During the last few months, we’ve had to be more creative with our isolation meals and what kind of ingredients to purchase so they can be stored longer in our pantry and fridge. Plus having the kids home for remote learning also means more cooking during the day.

Most of the ingredients for cannellini bean salad can be stored in the pantry or fridge for over a week, so if you are trying to avoid going out too many times, I recommend adding this budget meal recipe to the list.

What is Miso Bean Paste?

Miso bean paste is made from fermented soya beans. It is essential in Japanese cooking but now widely used in other cuisines as well.

The time used in the fermentation process is what creates the different varieties of miso bean paste. The longer the fermentation, the darker the miso and more intense flavour.

The most common one found is Shiro miso (white miso). The flavour profile is milder than others with a touch of sweetness. It is a versatile ingredient and we have a tub of it in our fridge at all times.

It’s not only for the beloved miso soup; we love adding to vegetables, seafood, tofu and chicken.

>> other salads with miso
Roasted Spiced Pumpkin and Red Onion Salad
Purple Kale Salad with Rainbow Chard
Asian Eggplant Salad with Miso Dressing

Is There a Miso Substitute?

I don’t believe there is a miso substitute as it is difficult to match the umami flavours of the fermented soybeans.

However, you can try mixing tahini with a little tamari to add depth with salty overtones.

Miso bean paste has a long shelf life so I would highly recommend you have a pot in the fridge versus finding a miso substitute.

Butter Beans vs Cannellini Beans

With so many varieties of white beans, it would be quite easy to mix them up. The two most common ones I use in my cooking are cannellini beans and butter beans. So what is the difference between butter beans vs cannellini beans?

Cannellini beans are white kidney beans. They have the traditional kidney shape and are great in salads, soups and stews. Most famously, you find them in minestrone soup.

You can purchase cannellini beans dried or canned. When cooked, cannellini beans are fluffy and tender in texture with a slightly nutty flavour.

There are cannellini beans substitutes which include great northern beans, navy beans or butter beans. Butter beans, aka lima beans, are slightly bigger and flatter in shape compared to cannellini beans.

When cooked, butter beans like its name, have a velvety texture and almost buttery flavour. Be careful not to overcook butter beans as they may break down too much and not stay intact.

How to Make Miso Cannellini Bean Salad with Salmon

How To Prepare Miso Cannellini Beans

For my recipe, I have used canned cannellini beans. It’s cheap, quick and tastes delicious too.

If you want to use dried cannellini beans, you can follow cooking instructions here in our Cauliflower Rice Salad with Cannellini Beans.

In a small bowl, mix miso with a dash of water to create a smooth paste.

Finely chop a clove of garlic.

Open one can of cannellini beans and give the cannellini beans a good rinse before use. Heat a medium fry pan and add butter and garlic. Saute for a minute to release the garlic flavour into the butter.

Then add cannellini beans and miso paste. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside for assembly.

Prepare the Salad

Wash and rinse rocket leaves.

Remove hot smoked salmon from packaging. Discard skin and pull apart the salmon flesh into a bowl. Set aside for assembly.

If you don’t have hot smoked salmon, canned tuna or salmon will work in this salad. Use tuna or salmon chunks versus flakes as you still want bite-sized pieces in the salad.

However if you’re a hot smoked salmon fan like us, you can also check out Asian Pear Salad with Soba and Hot Smoked Salmon and Risoni Salad with Hot Smoked Salmon and Crab.

Cut lemon into wedges for serving.

How to Assemble the Cannellini Bean Salad

This is super simple to assemble.

Gently mix miso cannellini beans and hot smoked salmon flakes.

Place rocket leaves in a serving bowl. Tumble miso cannellini beans and hot smoked salmon on top.

Give it a good squeeze of lemon juice. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and cracked pepper.

Devour our cannellini bean salad as is or serve with crusty bread for an easy to prepare lunch meal.

The salty umami flavours of miso combined with the creamy cannellini beans and hot smoked salmon makes this a simple yet hearty salad. Rocket leaves and lemon juice cuts through the savoury tones and balances the salad to perfection.

A great budget meal to use up pantry items and can be whipped up in less than 20 minutes.

That’s all!

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