Blueberry Bean Salad

Beans, barley and berries, oh my! I’m a big bean lover, and that love has only amplified during my life as a student because they lend themselves beautifully to so many dishes and are packed with protein. But besides their health benefits, beans are also sustainable superstars, which makes them great ingredients to have in your weekly meal rotation. Find them boring or lacking that extra bit of oomph? This cold salad is sure to get you excited about legumes!

Some of Canada’s most important crops include wheat, grains, corn, blueberries, and, of course, beans, which proved to be a staple both in the Indigenous diet and later in the settler diet – in a sense, beans built Canada. With the power to nourish, satisfy and even delight, it’s no wonder that they’ve remained a favourite in the True North diet and can still be found in dishes like baked beans and stews.

Canada is ranked as one of the top 10 leaders in overall sustainable crop production. Interestingly, beans and blueberries are some of the most sustainable ingredients found within the landscape, thanks to their nitrogen-restoring properties and low water consumption. As conscious consumers, we can also do our part by shopping local and seasonal products to avoid food waste. And the easiest way to start is with this super simple, sustainable salad.

So get your Tupperware ready, and let’s begin!

Blueberry Bean Salad
(makes 2 servings)
240g white cannellini beans, cooked
240g Canadian cranberry beans (also known
as borlotti beans), cooked
85g barley, cooked
½ small purple onion, chopped
190g local blueberries
25g walnuts, roughly chopped
20g arugula

Dressing:
65ml olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic glaze
2 tbsp real maple syrup
1 tsp grain mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp herbes de Provence
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

For the dressing, add olive oil, balsamic glaze, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper to a mason jar. Close and shake well. Set aside.

In an airtight glass container, add beans, barley, onions, blueberries and nuts. Top with dressing and shake to coat evenly. Add arugula on top and close the container. By adding the arugula on top of the dressed salad, the lettuce will stay crisp until you’re ready to mix everything together before enjoying it at lunch the next day.