Antipasti 3-Bean Salad

episode #11 of 30-minute budget meals!

Happy Friday!

I woke up this week with the STIFFEST neck, so I’ve been hiding on social media because I could barely turn my head, but things are looking up! I went to acupuncture on Wednesday and that seemed to help, and I took a ballet class yesterday in hopes of loosening up.

It felt like summer this week until today, which has now brought in clouds and rain for the weekend. NO!!

I’ve been working on the second draft of my novel all week, and I think I can finally say I’m back in my writing groove. I started the book in 2020, and by the time I finished the first draft in 2023, my writing style improved drastically, so I’ve been rewriting the first few chapters of the book, which is time consuming, but I think will be worth it.

Grant and I also recorded a podcast-style Q+A about our fertility journey, which should be coming out next week! I’m excited to start exploring this format a little bit more.

Okay, recipe time!

This 3-bean salad is inspired by Violet.Cooks who has been putting out these amazing “dense bean salads.” I am a bean gurllll, so I’ve been really into the idea, and beans are just the perfect budget-friendly food. They’re inexpensive, filling, and loaded with protein and fiber. Beans are perfect <3

This recipe yields four servings, so you can make it for the whole fam, bring it to a picnic, or use it to meal prep!

Also, this week we came 10 minutes under for prep time — this is really a 20 minute meal! Yay! Everything basically comes from a can or jar, so it’s cheap and easy-peasy! But also, simultaneously fresh?!

A note about the cheese! I use crumbled goat here, but I would say the cheese is optional (which would make the dish plant-based, minus the honey in the dressing which you can also leave out). I was tempted to use mini mozarrella balls, but that brought the cost up a bit. Same with shaved Parmesan. But you can use any of these if they soubd better, and you could also even use feta!

Follow your heart (and your budget)!

RECIPE!

Antipasti 3-Bean Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)