Tarragon & Garlic White Bean Salad with Artichoke Hearts

This is one of my favorite summer salads to prepare. It’s light, zesty and very filling. What separates this dish from other bean salads is the lovely tarragon! It has a sweet, spicy, warm, licorice-like taste. When paired with beans, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and vinaigrette, you are sure to experience a little summery bliss in your mouth. Tarragon is truly a unique spice, and I highly recommend you give it a try.

As lovely as this recipe looks and tastes, you wouldn’t believe how little time it takes to prepare. Usually when I prepare a bean recipe, I soak the beans for up to 24 hours to release enzyme inhibitors and phytates–those nasty things that damage the intestines and reduce nutrient absorption. I’m a stickler however, and I will never have you preparing beans that are going to wreck your digestion.

This is why I love Eden Organics. All of their beans are pre-soaked with seaweed (extra iodine we need for healthy thyroid function) in BPA-Free cans. Life cannot get any better!! Make sure to stock your pantry with several cans. They’re also pre-cooked, so all you have to do is heat them, or eat them cold in a bean salad like this.

Don’t get too excited about the canned bean option, however. Unfortunately most food manufacturers are not as awesome as Eden Organics, and continue to use toxic cans with BPA. Since this recipe calls for artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers, I urge you to buy them in a jar. Your local health food store should carry a few different brands. My favorite is Mediterranean Organic.

Do you have any favorite cold bean salad recipes? Any special recipes using tarragon? If so, I’d love to hear about it, so please share in the comments section below. And as always, if you enjoyed this post and would like more recipes like this, please join me at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.