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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. 

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.

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

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.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
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: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 5mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

    11 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      I have had one white bean recipe for years that I have enjoyed, BUT this one made me replace it! Delicious, moist, and only gets better as it sits. The dressing is so light and fresh. Try it, you’ll agree.

    2. Cannellini beans are my favorite. I like making this salad bc it’s quick and easy and the crowd pleaser; and then if I have a little goat cheese handy, I break it up into small clumps and add that to the top of it and give it a quick stir and it makes the vinaigrette a little creamy and adds more protein and tang to the salad. You can gussy it up anyway you want.

    3. 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

    4. 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!

    5. 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?

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