Three Bean Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

NAK and I spent a wonderful weekend in Charlottesville, VA visiting a bunch of wineries, Monticello, and of course, enjoying the amazing summer weather. The weekend was really perfect but I must admit that I did miss the required Memorial Day barbecue that I had intended to host if we were in town. We just bought a grill a few weeks ago and NAK's been having a field day grilling meat, fish and chicken.

But who is to say that just because you aren't grilling, you can't make those side salads, the ones that often outshine the grilled food itself. And while potato salads and cole slaws are great, you need not limit yourself to just those. Bean salads are one of my favorites - they are full of protein, taste and crunch. They are easy to assemble, can be made in advance, and will yield lunch for at least a day or two. In other words, they are just about darn perfect.

I didn't have quite enough basil for a full on pesto dressing so I combined the basil with sun dried tomatoes for a spicy yet fresh dressing. I chose green beans for their shape and crunch, cannelloni beans for their softness and edamame for added protein, but you could use anything- chick peas, lima beans, black beans...whatever you prefer. And best of all, when it's steamy outside, a heaping bowl of bean salad will make for a pretty hearty meal all on its own. But tonight, when NAK is busy grilling salmon outside, you may just find me inside making another batch of bean salad.

Three Bean Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used dried tomatoes that I reconstituted in hot water but you can also use tomatoes packed in oil. Just be sure to drain them well)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 lb green beans, ends cut off and cut in half
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
1 bag edamame

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the beans to the water for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly cooked but still crisp. Remove the beans from the water with a slotted spoons and immerse in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Rinse again with cold water and then drain in a colander. Dry beans with a towel.

Add the basil, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, cheese and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula. Slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth. Add more oil if necessary, you want the pesto to be a sauce-like consistency so it will coat the beans. Taste, and then add salt and pepper as necessary.

Add the green beans in a large serving bowl with the edamame and cannelloni beans. Pour the sauce on top and mix together. Serve immediately.