Easy White Bean Salad

This quick white bean salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavor! It’s great for a fast lunch or an easy side dish.

White Bean Salad

We’re always on the hunt for quick and easy lunch ideas over here. Here’s our newest invention you can mix up in minutes: White Bean Salad! It’s bursting with Mediterranean flavor from simple ingredients: bell pepper brings a crunch, parsley an herbaceous bite, and red wine vinegar brings a zing of acidity. Top with a sprinkle of feta, and it’s irresistibly tasty with minimal effort. We often lean on bean recipes for healthy lunches, and this simple mix hits it out of the park for us. It also does double duty as an easy side dish!

Ingredients in white bean salad

This white bean salad is perfect for lunches: we created the recipe as something you could whip up on the fly right before eating. Or, it’s great as a party salad: especially for summer picnics or potlucks! The ingredients are optimized for it to stay well in the refrigerator, but it’s great for eating right away. Here’s what you’ll need for this white bean salad:

  • Navy beans or cannellini beans (see below)
  • Red pepper
  • Red onion or shallot
  • Parsley
  • Olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • Feta cheese
White Bean Salad

Navy beans vs cannellini

This white bean salad leans on a bean that’s worth seeking out: navy beans! They’re small and have a velvety texture and nutty flavor. Cannellini beans are easiest to find at the grocery, but they can sometimes taste a little mushy. Navy beans have a nice pop when you bite into them, which makes them our top choice for this salad.

Navy beans are worth seeking out, though sometimes we have a harder time finding them at our local grocery (yes, we’ve made some extra grocery trips!). Of course, you can substitute cannellini beans if desired and this salad still tastes great.

Olive oil & vinegar quantities

One note on the oil and vinegar quantities in this white bean salad! We’ve provided two options depending on how you’re serving it.

  • Use less oil and vinegar if eating right away. Make it to eat for lunch right away, and you can get away with ½ tablespoon oil and vinegar. It tastes great right when you mix it up.
  • Use more if storing it refrigerated or making for a party. Use 1 tablespoon each oil and vinegar and it makes more of a marinated bean salad texture. This is best here because it can dry out in the fridge or as it sits.
White Bean Salad

Make a double batch for a party

Want to make this white bean salad for a party? The quantity in the recipe below makes enough for 2 large lunch servings or 4 small servings as a side dish. We kept it this size because we eat it primarily as a lunch salad: and it’s easy to double.

Making it for a party or entertaining? Make a double batch! You’ll want to use the larger quantity of oil and vinegar for the party size, which will be 2 tablespoons each oil and vinegar. Click the 2x button in the recipe below.

Ways to serve this white bean salad

This white bean salad is ultra versatile: it works from healthy lunches to picnics to cookouts to quick sides! Here are a few ways to serve it:

  • For lunches, stored in a covered jar
  • With shrimp like baked shrimp or sautéed shrimp as a fast and easy meal
  • With salmon like baked salmon or pan seared salmon
  • At a picnic or potluck (double recipe)
  • With chopped ripe tomatoes when in season
  • With other fresh herbs like basil, oregano, chives or thyme when in season

More bean salad recipes

Love a good bean salad? We could eat them every day of the week. Here are a few more ways to use beans:

This white bean salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the feta cheese.

Print
White Bean Salad

Easy White Bean Salad

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 large or 4 side dish servings
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This quick white bean salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavor! It’s great for a fast lunch or an easy side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 can navy beans* (or cannellini beans)
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper (or substitute sliced ripe cherry tomatoes, when in season)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion or shallot
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (or green onion top or other herbs)
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons feta cheese (omit for vegan)

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse the beans.
  2. Dice the bell pepper. Mince the red onion, and chop the parsley.
  3. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients (if you’re eating right away, use the ½ tablespoon oil and vinegar; if making to refrigerate or for a party where it will sit out, use 1 tablespoon). Taste and add additional salt if desired. Saves up to 3 days refrigerated; taste and add additional salt, olive oil and vinegar after storage.

Notes

*If making for a party, make a double recipe (use the 2x button).

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: Salad

Keywords: White bean salad

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.



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Sonja Overhiser
February 23, 2022 at 09:46AM

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