White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

My mother dries organic tomatoes each fall - thin slices in her dehydrator. I hydrate them in hot water and use them in the winter to add a zesty tomato flavor to dishes like this simple salad. You can use the dried tomatoes that come in oil, if you like, in which case don't soak them in hot water before using.

This was the salad we ate this week. It was really good, but I forgot to take a picture. So you'll have to make it to see how pretty it is too.

White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
1 cup white beans, cooked until tender
2 tbsp red onion, diced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
few grindings of pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes

Put the beans in a large bowl. (You can use 2 14-oz cans of beans if you prefer. Drain and rinse well before putting in the bowl.)

Whisk together the onion, vinegar, capers, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Toss gently into the beans. Add the celery and carrots. Reconstitute the dried tomatoes in hot water a few minutes, then drain them, slice, and add to the bowl.

Serves 4