Butter Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Feta, and Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 cans butter beans or any type of white bean
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
• 1/2 cup Feta cubes
• 1/3 cup Basil Vinaigrette
• 2 -3 T chopped fresh basil, optional

Directions

1. Pour the beans into a colander in the sink, and rinse them under cold water until the foam is gone. Leave them to drain briefly, then pat them dry with paper towels and transfer them to a medium salad bowl.
2. Spoon in roughly half of the Basil Vinaigrette and toss it through the beans. Set the bowl aside so the beans can soak up the dressing while you get everything else ready.
3. Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then chop them into coarse pieces. If some pieces are already small, only cut down the larger ones.
4. Slice the Kalamata olives in half.
5. Cut the feta into 1/2 inch cubes.
6. Combine the dressed beans with the sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives.
7. Pour in the remaining dressing, or just enough to lightly coat and moisten the salad.
8. Fold in the feta cubes carefully, along with the chopped basil if you’re using it.
9. Serve the salad immediately, or chill it in the fridge for a few hours first.
10. Store leftovers in the fridge for several days. If the flavors seem a little muted after chilling, stir in a bit more dressing to freshen it up.