White Bean Salad

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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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

  

1x2x3x

• 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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