White Bean Salad
This healthy White Bean Salad recipe is as simple as mixing a handful of ingredients together, and letting the flavors meld. It’s a great side dish or make-ahead recipe for meal prep, with tons of flavor!
I can bring this dish together in 5 minutes, no joke. It’s an easy, easy, easy recipe.
If you’re looking for some new additions for Sunday meal prep, these beans keep unbelievably well in the fridge. They can be packed into work lunches for the week to come, or can even be a go-to dish for potlucks or picnics.
I recently had some friends over for lunch and served it, and kept getting complimented on how good the beans were.
This made me laugh because it’s little more than a few cans of beans tossed with some fresh and simple ingredients. But it really is delicious!
Not to mention, keeping healthy ready-to-eat food in the fridge helps me avoid eating things like Peanut Butter Cookies that may be hiding in the pantry.
Step by Step Overview:
Start by making the salad dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or finely chopped, kosher salt, and black pepper:
Whisk that together well, then add rinsed and drained canned Cannellini beans, chopped red onion, fresh parsley, and rosemary:
Can you use other white beans?
You can use any sort of white bean you like, such as great Northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans. But I love the silky, creamy texture that Cannellini beans have. You can also do a variety of white beans and use them all.
This recipe also works well with black beans or pinto beans.
For best results, do NOT use no salt or low-sodium canned beans. They will not taste right, and they tend to have a less creamy texture.
Toss this together well, then place in the fridge for an hour, to let the flavors meld. Like any non-lettuce salad, it’s best when it’s gotten a chance to sit.
If you’re in a hurry, you can serve it earlier, but you can taste the difference when you wait.
Transfer the beans to a serving bowl, and enjoy. I like this dish best served at room temperature, but chilled is also wonderfully refreshing.
Baba Ganoush, Corn and Avocado Bean Salad, and Coleslaw are some of my other favorite healthy dishes to keep in the fridge for quick noshing. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
This delicious salad recipe lends itself well to so many great options for additional ingredients.
For a more mediterranean white bean salad, add halved cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and swap red wine vinegar for the lemon juice.
You can also add diced english cucumber, bell peppers, or sliced green onions.
Recipe FAQ and Tips
Keep in an airtight container or a large bowl tightly wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the fridge.
You can swap in a high quality vinegar from your pantry. Red or white wine vinegar are the best choices.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 15oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Try to let the salad sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, to let the flavors meld together. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in November 2019. Originally published November 2012.
30 Comments on “White Bean Salad”
Simple and delicious salad! Thank you so much for the inspiration and directions!
Thanks Tina! Im glad you found it helpful!
Made it and it was amazing.
So glad you enjoyed Charles! Thank you!
Very good bean salad! I added a little chopped celery, too, to add a little extra crunch. I let it set a couple hours before dinner and am glad I did. Hubs and I both thought it was really good and I’m looking forward to having the rest tomorrow!
Yum! Thanks Carol!