Mediterranean White Bean Salad

Jan 16, 2023, Updated Oct 11, 2023

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Light, refreshing, delicious Mediterranean White Bean Salad is surprisingly hearty year-round, for a burst of fresh flavor you can enjoy without breaking the bank!

white bean salad in a white bowl with cucumber, tomatoes, and crumbled cheese

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Hearty Budget White Bean Salad
How to Make White Bean Salad
Tips and Tricks for Perfect White Bean Salad
Other Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Mediterranean White Bean Salad Recipe

Hearty Budget White Bean Salad

I love this salad, because it uses cherry tomatoes and cucumbers – which can both be grown indoors, year-round if you have a container growing setup, or a hydroponic kit. They are both also easy to find at grocery stores year-round, so you can get fresh flavor, no matter the season.

We’re using canelenni white beans, which have a great hearty, buttery flavor that is rich and delicious, perfect with salty feta and light bright vegetables.

This salad is incredibly versatile – mix in other vegetables you have on hand like fresh broccoli or cauliflower florets, sautee some zucchini or yellow squash to add in, or stir in Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms for a meaty flavor – you can also add in Easy Baked Chicken Breasts, or Garlic Parmesan Air Fried Shrimp for more of a main dish.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

How to Make White Bean Salad

To make this salad, you’ll need:

Lemon – lemon juice is very acidic and gives the dressing a bright taste
Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard is spicy and has a rich flavor because it has white wine in it. It is the main flavor for this dressing and makes it creamy.
Garlic – pressed garlic gives a very strong earthy flavor to this dressing. You can fine dice it if you don’t have a garlic press.
Italian seasoning – Italian seasoning is a mixture of classic Italian spices like basil, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. See tips and tricks below on how to mix your own.
Thyme – even though this has Italian seasoning you want the thyme to stand out so add a little extra.
Olive oil – olive oil adds fat to this dressing and bring it together so the dressing can coat the beans well.
Cannellini beans – use cooked, drained cannellini beans. These particular beans have a great flavor and texture and they absorb the dressing well.
Cucumbers – cucumbers add a nice fresh flavor and raw texture to this salad.
Cherry Tomatoes – halved tomatoes give a sweet pop. You can leave them whole but cutting them in half lets the dressing soak into them.
Feta Cheese – feta has a salty creamy flavor and is very strong. Make sure you crumble it well so you don’t get a big bite.
Flaky Sea Salt – Salt helps season all the ingredients in the salad.
Black Pepper – Pepper adds a nice spicy pepper, use salt and black pepper to taste.
Parsley – parsley adds a nice freshness and herbaceous bite.

beans, cucumber, herbs and spices, lemons, cheese, tomatoes, olive oil in bowls on a table

beans, chopped cucumbers, sliced cherry tomatoes, and crumbled cheese in a bowl on a table

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:

Assemble the dressing. In a large bowl add the lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, and thyme. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the olive oil as you whisk quickly so you can fully emulsify it.

Add beans and veggies. Add the beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Stir to coat the vegetables in the dressing. Top the salad with the feta. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more as needed. Top with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for Perfect White Bean Salad

Season to taste. When you have mixed all the ingredients take time to add the salt and pepper incrementally tasting as you go. Every good chef knows, tasting your food is critical to getting that perfect blend of flavors.

Mix up the beans. If you want to mix it up try doing half pinto beans, half cannellini beans. You can use any ratio or mixture of cooked and drained/rinsed beans for different tastes and textures to this salad.

Mix your own Italian Seasoning. In a medium bowl or mason jar mix 2 tablespoons for the following dried spices: basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, cilantro, thyme, savory, and red pepper flakes. Store up to 6 months.

FAQs

How do I store this white bean salad?

This salad can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Without the feta, this salad will stay fresh for up to four days.

What kinds of beans besides cannellini can I use?

You can use pinto, great northern, or butterbeans to this salad for a similar flavor and texture.

Other Salad Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoy this white bean salad, check out these recipes next!

To see all of our bean recipes click here!