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Home » Recipe Type » Salads » White Bean Salad

White Bean Salad

By: Rosemary Published: August 4, 2020 Updated on: September 13, 2021

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Beans never tasted so good, this easy vegetarian White Bean Salad is a delicious healthy salad recipe, perfect for Summer get togethers, picnics, barbecues or even make ahead dinners or lunches. 

bean salad in a white bowl with a spoonful

Whenever I think of summertime, besides the dreaded heat! I also think of so many delicious salads that I can make. And of course you can’t think of salads without a tasty bean salad.

Table of Contents

  • How to make it
  • How to soak dry beans
  • Can I use canned or frozen beans
  • What are white beans?
  • How to store it
  • More Related Recipes
      • Never Miss a Recipe!
  • White Bean Salad Recipe
    • Ingredients  1x2x3x
      • *If using dried beans then soak about 1 1/2 cups of dried beans overnight (or 8 hours) in a large bowl of water, make sure the beans are well covered. Drain, rinse then cook in boiling water for about 45-60 minutes. Beans should be tender but not mushy.
      • FOR THE DRESSING
    • Instructions 
      • FOR THE DRESSING
    • Nutrition

How to make it

If you are using dried beans then drain them but keep aside some liquid. Set aside. If using canned beans then rinse them and drain well (keep some liquid).

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and some bean liquid.

dressing in a blue bowl and bean salad ingredients in a bigger blue bowl

In a large bowl, combine the beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, sliced black olives, chopped parsley and basil, then pour the dressing over the beans and gently combine. Cover and refrigerate before serving.

bean salad mixed together ready to be refrigerated

How to soak dry beans

In a large bowl add the dried beans, (I used cannellini beans although you could also use  another type of white bean), cover the beans well with water. Let them sit for about 8 hours or overnight, then drain and cook until tender, but not mushy.

Can I use canned or frozen beans

Yes you can, frozen are always better than canned, although they do need to be cooked before using, canned beans on the other hand should be rinsed before adding to the salad.

bean salad in a white bowl with olives in a white dish and a tomato

What are white beans?

Navy or pea Beans are small, oval-shaped, and cook quite quickly, Another good choice are Great Northern Beans. They are larger than Navy Beans but a little smaller than Cannellini beans. Great Northern beans are known for their nutty by milk flavour and have a firm flesh. Any of these three beans would make a good choice for this bean salad. Cannellini beans are Italian and are creamy white in colour, they also have a slightly nutty but mild flavour.

How to store it

The bean salad should be refrigerated in an airtight container. Properly stored, it will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

More Related Recipes

Easy Italian Bean Salad

Italian Chickpea Salad

Italian Corn Salad

So if you are looking for a quick and easy salad, I hope you give this White Bean Salad Recipe a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!

bean salad in a white bowl with a silver spoon

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    bean salad in a white bowl with a spoonful

    White Bean Salad Recipe

    Rosemary Molloy
    Beans never tasted so good, this easy vegetarian White Bean Salad is a delicious healthy salad recipe.
    5 from 9 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Chilling Time 1 hr
    Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
    Course Antipasti, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American/Italian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 339 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups cooked white beans (navy, cannellini or Great Northern beans)*
    • 1-2 medium ripe firm tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
    • 1/2 red onion (chopped)
    • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
    • 2-3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley (finely chopped)
    • 1/4 teaspoon dry basil or 4-5 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

    *If using dried beans then soak about 1 1/2 cups of dried beans overnight (or 8 hours) in a large bowl of water, make sure the beans are well covered. Drain, rinse then cook in boiling water for about 45-60 minutes. Beans should be tender but not mushy.

      FOR THE DRESSING

      • 1/4 cup olive oil
      • 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (to taste, depends on the strength of the vinegar)
      • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
      • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
      • 1-2 dashes black pepper
      • 3 tablespoons bean liquid

      Instructions
       

      • If you are using cooked dried beans or frozen then drain them but keep aside some liquid. If using canned beans then rinse them and drain well (keep some liquid). 

      FOR THE DRESSING

      • In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, salt , pepper and the bean liquid. Set aside, (refrigerate the dressing if you are cooking the beans (dried or frozen). Stir it again before putting it together.
      • In a large bowl, combine the beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, sliced black olives, chopped parsley and basil, then pour the dressing over the beans and gently combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or even overnight before serving.

      Nutrition

      Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 14gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 565mgPotassium: 837mgFiber: 10gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 5mg
      Keyword bean salad with white beans, cannellini bean salad
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        Grilling & BBQ, Lunch, Lunch, Main Dish, Main Dish, Salads, Side Dishes, Side Dishes, Summer, Vegetables

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        1. June-Aloha says

          October 20, 2021 at 12:22 am

          5 stars
          Aloha, Rosemary! I made this with canned white beans. It was 1 1/2 cup, so made all half of your recipe amount. I run out of red wine vinegar, so I substitute it with balsamic vinegar. It taste sooooooo goooooood! and this salad will be on our table frequently from now on! Thanks for wonderful delicious, but easy and less time recipe:) Mahalo

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            October 20, 2021 at 7:29 pm

            Hi June, thanks so much and balsamic is a great choice. So glad you enjoyed it. Take care.

            Reply
        2. Susan V. says

          August 30, 2021 at 8:32 am

          5 stars
          I had to improvise on this one because I didn’t have red onion or black olives on hand. So I subbed with a regular mild white onion and sliced green olives. Still very tasty!

          Rosemary, thank you for keeping up this blog! I cook recipes from it all the time and really love it! I love that traditional Italian cooking sticks with very basic things, but makes them taste fabulous!

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            August 31, 2021 at 6:31 pm

            Hi Susan, thanks so much, oh yes good substitutions. Glad you enjoy the blog and the recipes. Nothing like Italian. 🙂 Have a great week.

            Reply
        3. Dave the Foodie. says

          August 8, 2020 at 10:25 pm

          Looks great, can’t wait to try this…need a red onion.

          Reply
        4. Jennie says

          August 6, 2020 at 11:05 pm

          You mentioned two times to save some of the liquid from the beans (Aqua fans) but it was never mentioned in the directions or where to put it. I assume you could add it to the dressing?

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            August 7, 2020 at 11:55 am

            Hi Jennie, sorry about that, yes it is added to the dressing. I have corrected the recipe. Thanks

            Reply

        Hi, I'm Rosemary.

        Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

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