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Served chilled or at room temperature, this Summery White Bean Salad is great to make ahead, or to grab and go! A short prep time means you can have it on the table fast!
Packed with protein, and yummy veggies, and dressed with a simple homemade vinaigrette (don’t forget the salt and pepper!), it’s ready fast – and lasts in the fridge for a few days. Great for a quick lunch, an easy side, or even as a mid-afternoon snack.
I do love Spring and (the beginning of) Summer. Summer here in Phoenix is crazy amounts of hot, and so heating up my kitchen to make a tasty side for something grilled is not my idea of a good time.
I love beans, and I love a good salad – especially one that takes so little time to make, and can be made ahead! This one is quick and easy, and stays super yummy for several days in the refrigerator.
We have this a side dish regularly, but can also grab some crackers and pack it for lunch to be a main dish. This is a great recipe for picking and choosing ingredients and mixing it up!
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What’s in a White Bean Salad?
I’m so glad you asked. Just a few simple ingredients and tons of flavor – what’s not to love? This bean salad is PERFECT!!
WHITE OR CANNELLINI BEANS – Drained and rinsed well – Cannellini, Great Northern, or Navy Beans – all will work just fine!
RED BELL PEPPERS – dice this up small
PARSLEY – don’t leave this out! Parsley adds a pretty green color and a savory flavor the bean salad
RED ONION – you can sub white onion if you must – but red is prettier
OLIVE OIL – you can use Extra Virgin or a light blend, either will work.
WHITE WINE VINEGAR – this, combined with the olive oil forms the vinaigrette on the salad.
GARLIC – yassss. This is important!! Dice if up finely and add it to the vinaigrette
How to make Bean Salad
- Place the beans, red bell peppers, parsley, and onion in a large bowl.
- In a lidded jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. Put the lid on tightly, and shake until well combined.
- Add the dressing to the bean mixture, using a spatula to combine (gently – so you don’t break the beans).
- Taste, add more seasoning if needed.
- Refrigerate until needed (up to 4 days).
- Devour.
Kylee’s notes/FAQs for White Bean Salad
- Make this ahead – this will keep several days in the refrigerator
- When mixing the beans, do it gently – you don’t want to turn your beans into mush!
- I like to mix this up and use navy, or great northern beans, and even add some black beans occasionally.
- Switch out the parsley for cilantro, and add some corn for a southwestern bean salad!
- Make a double or triple batch of bean salad for gatherings and watch it disappear.
- More Summery Ideas
WANT TO TRY THIS YUMMY BEAN SALAD?
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Served chilled or at room temperature, this Summery White Bean Salad is great to make ahead, or to grab and go! A 5 minute prep time means you can have it on the table fast!
- 2 15oz cans cannellini or northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup red bell pepper , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley , chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion , finely chopped
- 4 Tbs olive oil
- 4 Tbs white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
Place the beans, red pepper, parsley, and onion in a large salad bowl.
- In a lidded jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. Put the lid on tightly, and shake until well combined.
- Add the dressing to the bean mixture, using a spatula to combine (gently – so you don’t break the beans).
- Taste, add more seasoning if needed.
- Refrigerate until needed (up to 4 days).
- Devour.
Source: Adapted from Good Cheap Eats
Kate
April 27, 2017 at 10:01 amLooks great for a barbecue!
Veena Azmanov
April 28, 2017 at 2:36 pmI love beans and I love adding them to my salad too! Definitely would be a great addition to the barbi… That vinegar definitely sounds perfect!.
peter @Feed Your Soul Too
April 28, 2017 at 3:05 pmThis is a great summer salad. You have color, texture and flavor. With the beans, this could truly be a main course.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
April 28, 2017 at 3:27 pmI love simple bean salads like this. So easy to put together and perfect for the warm weather months. This looks great!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
April 28, 2017 at 7:25 pmI love every single ingredient in this salad! It would be such a great salad to serve this summer!
Adriana Lopez Martn
April 28, 2017 at 9:38 pmBeautiful fresh option love the use of the beans that are packed with protein and all those fresh ingredients no doubt an amazing side.
Eileen
April 29, 2017 at 7:44 amWhat a beautiful and easy salad for summer dinner! I love using beans in salad because they’re health and so filling. Really lovely photos, too!
Natalie
April 29, 2017 at 10:52 amI LOVEEEE bean salads. It’s perfect summer salad, I agree with you. Love the addition of bell peppers and garlic. Looks flavorful and I bet this salad taste just amazing. Saving this to my list to try!
Sarah
April 29, 2017 at 11:51 amSummer in Southern California gets way too hot for turning on the stove or oven, too. I like a good no-cook meal, and this salad looks so refreshing!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
April 29, 2017 at 12:46 pmIt may not get as hot here in Columbus, OH as is does there but I’m all about minimizing how often I turn on the oven in the summer. I for some reason forget about white beans but this salad is begging to be made!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
April 29, 2017 at 4:27 pmI LOVE a good bean salad. All kinds of beans. With grilling season FINALLY here, this would be perfect for all the back yard parties…and leftovers for lunch too. Now you have my mouth watering …and I need to see what beans I have on hand.
Molly Kumar
April 30, 2017 at 4:28 pmThis looks great and I’d love this summery white bean salad with a glass of chilled wine for a perfect weekend nosh. It would also make an excellent togo lunch with a light sandwich.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
April 30, 2017 at 7:47 pmAbsolutely love bean salad and this looks so refreshing. I hate cooking elaborate meals for summer lunches as it is so hot here in Oklahoma. This will make for a very satisfying side or a lunch itself for me with some soup.
Donna
April 30, 2017 at 9:18 pmYour summers sound as bad as ours here in Sacramento!! I go to great lengths to avoid heating up the kitchen for about two months during the year, so this is the perfect side dish to add to the repertoire. Love how quick and easy it is!
ManilaSpoon
May 1, 2017 at 6:18 amI love a good bean salad because they’re wholesome and filling – truly a meal on its own! Love that it’s so easy to prep and quick as well!
Amy
May 1, 2017 at 6:59 amKylee, this looks so fresh and tasty and delicious! I am a huge fan of beans and love serving them during the summer as a cool side dish. Dying to try this at my next bbq!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
May 1, 2017 at 2:02 pmWhat a great side dish any time of the year. We love our beans and I can add a touch of a cuisine related spices to the beans. Greek, Italian, Asian — I’m coming up with lots of ideas. Thank you for sharing. I’m savng this recipe
traditionallymodernfood
May 1, 2017 at 2:23 pmSimple and protein rich salad like this are my favorite. with minimal effort such a filling and tasty meal
swathi
May 1, 2017 at 2:36 pmThis is my kind of salad I love this simple white bean salad with bell pepper and onion. As you right these kinds of simple treat are not only good for health but also tasty and colorful
Christine @ myblissfulmess
July 29, 2017 at 7:58 amI love super simple and quick recipes like this, and such a wonderful salad packed with protein. Yum!
Joanne Byrne
August 24, 2017 at 4:44 pmThis is a wonderful salad that really lends itself to personal add-ins. My husband loves to add chopped tomatoes to his and my daughter brought this to a party and served it with pita chips as a bean dip. It was a hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Jill Roberts
January 4, 2018 at 11:21 amGorgeous photos and amazing looking summery white bean salad! Combination of taste, I like a balanced diet, a variety of protein and vitamin supplements so that they will have good health. Thx for sharing Kylee!
Pastor Jean Caudill
June 14, 2018 at 7:58 pmI just made a huge bowl of this salad to take to a BBQ tomorrow evening. Great dish for my vegan/vegetarian friends. Hope everyone likes this salad as much as I do!
Bella Hardy @ Healthnerdy
July 2, 2018 at 2:30 amDefinitely I will make summery white bean salad on the weekend for my family.
Robert Derby
December 18, 2018 at 2:07 amI made it on this morning. It’s really good.
Sanchez
December 20, 2018 at 9:56 pmI’ve made it in the morning. It’s really delicious.
Lisa@eatfrysmith
January 18, 2019 at 8:24 amMy children really like it, I’m really happy. Thank you
jessica
February 9, 2019 at 11:32 pmHello Kylee, I’ve been looking for this salad recipe for 2 months. thank you very much