Toss canned white beans with crunchy celery and red onion with a simple vinaigrette for a satisfying, zesty salad. Add fresh parsley and dill for extra flavor, and enjoy this Cannellini Bean Salad as a light side or a quick lunch.
Bean Salad, It’s great I promise
I just finished enjoying this dish for lunch and I thought to myself gosh this is GOOD. It’s herby, its crunchy, and it’s fresh. The best part: I made this yesterday and the flavors marinated even more overnight.
Just a few simple ingredients mixed with creamy white beans make up the base of this salad and it gets tossed with a very easy homemade vinaigrette. There’s no lettuce in this simple white bean salad so it holds up fantastic for meal prep. I actually like it better the day after! All of the flavors marinate together and create a delicious recipe (a perfect healthy salad for work lunches!).
The flavors are bright and fresh. The dill and Italian parsley bring freshness to the easy cannellini bean salad recipe and the lemon zest on top packs in a punch of citrus flavor bringing the canned beans to life.
Recipe Inspo
I don’t have a ton of bean based recipes on APOP, but I’m here to change that as they’re high in fiber & protein and a great plant-based option if you’re trying to eat less meat. Plus, I always opt to use canned beans and that makes life 10x easier already. Try my Black Beans and Couscous Salad, Meal Prep Cobb, Tomato White Bean Salad, Pizza Bean Salad or this Mediterranean Salad with chickpeas as the base; each of which I’m sure you’ll enjoy, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Dressing – The dressing for this simple salad is made pantry staples including olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, lemon, salt & pepper.
- White Beans – I used cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
- Veggies – Celery for texture and red onion for a spicy bite.
- Herbs – Fresh herbs bring so much brightess to a dish. This recipe uses curly parsley and fresh dill.
- Feta cheese – I recommend using a block of feta cheese as the moisture contributes to the dressing of this simple salad. You can use pre crumbled if needed, though you may need more oil as the cheese is significantly drier.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
This easy recipe is super customizable! A few suggestions to switch it up
- More fresh vegetables: Add fresh cherry tomatoes, red peppers, kalamata olives, or additional fresh herbs like fresh basil or chives. Diced cucumbers would be tasty, too!
- Switch up the kind of beans you use. This recipe is easy to adapt to what you have in your pantry: Use red or white kidney beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans
- Dressing: Use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of red. Swap the honey for maple syrup and/or use your favorite flavored mustard. You can also opt for a store bought dressing. A Greek dressing or Italian dressing would both be good options.if applicable
How to Make This Recipe
1. Prep all of the ingredients first to make salad assembly easier: rinse & drain the beans, then pat dry before using, mandolin the red onion slices, use a vegetable chopper to evenly dice celery.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper & lemon juice.
3. Add the cannellini beans, red onion slices, and diced celery. Toss in the dressing. Use a sharp knife to finely chop the fresh dill and curly parsley.
4. Add the dill and parsley to the mixing bowl. Use your hands to gently break apart the block of feta into crumbles. Toss all together and taste. Garnish with a heavy sprinkle of flaky sea salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon zest. Serve chilled and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Pulse the herbs in a blender or food processor for finely diced pieces in seconds!
You can then make your salad dressing right in the same blender without having to clean it to get all of the remaining herbs stuck to the sides into your salad.
Recipe FAQs
Store this simple white bean salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I actually prefer it the next day as it sits as the flavors marinate together quite nicely.
Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, and Navy beans are all white beans (and can all be used in this salad!), but they have some key differences in size, texture, and flavor:
Cannellini Beans: These are the largest of the three, with a kidney shape. They have a mild, nutty flavor and a firm, creamy texture. They hold their shape well, making them great for soups, salads, and Italian dishes like minestrone.
Great Northern Beans: These are medium-sized, slightly smaller than cannellini beans. They have a mild, slightly nutty flavor and a somewhat grainy texture. They absorb flavors well, making them good for soups, stews, and casseroles.
Navy Beans: The smallest of the three, these beans are rounder and have a soft, creamy texture when cooked. They are commonly used in baked beans, soups, and purees because they break down more easily.
Serving suggestions
Serve with crunchy pita chips, crusty bread, by the spoonful, or my personal favorite, with cottage cheese. I’ll do ¾ cup cottage cheese and 1 ½ cup of this easy white bean salad for lunch. It’s delicious!
Also feel free to serve this over a bed of lettuce for a more traditional salad. I think with arugula would be a great option.
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Cannellini Bean Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- knife and cutting board
- vegetable chopper optional
- Zester
- large mixing spoon or tongs
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
Salad
- 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz each)
- 3 stalks celery
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1/2 bunch curly parsley
- 2/3 cup fresh dill
- 1 block feta cheese, 8oz
Garnish
- heavy sprinkle Ffaky sea salt
- Graza finishing oil
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Prep all of the ingredients first to make salad assembly easier: rinse & drain the beans, then pat dry before using, mandolin the red onion slices, use a vegetable chopper to evenly dice celery.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper & lemon juice.
- Add the cannellini beans, red onion slices, and diced celery. Toss in the dressing. Use a sharp knife to finely chop the fresh dill and curly parsley.
- Add the dill and parsley to the mixing bowl. Use your hands to gently break apart the block of feta into crumbles.
- Toss all together and taste. Garnish with a heavy sprinkle of flaky sea salt, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and lemon zest. Serve chilled and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Cannellini Bean Salad calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
bean beans the magical fruit! no, but I’m obsessed with this bean salad. especially with cottage cheese (it’s just *chef’s kiss* perfection.
My GOODNESS I didn’t expect to love this as much as I do. I’ve made four different iterations since the first time I tried it🤣 Tried with chickpeas, added mint and basil, served over arugula, mixed in kale…. Using this as my template for all bean salads moving forward!
Being postpartum I’m looking for easy meals i can meal prep solo with a baby that is filled with protein and this HIT THE SPOT 😘! I added chicken and substituted dairy free cheese! It has amazing flavor with the sauce and is so refreshing
this was GASSSSS only sub i made was maple syrup for the honey🤌🏻 i made it for my mediterranean dinner party and this was legit the best thing on the table
i LOVE this response!! Thanks for trying it, Makenna!!
I made it for my office potluck and everyone loved it 🙂 One quick question – if it sits out for a couple of hours, is there any way to prevent it from getting watery?
love to hear it! Here are some tips to avoid excess water in the future: rinse & drain the beans well (at least 15 mins of dry time before using). Lightly season the veggies (onion/celery) with salt 10 mins before adding the dressing – it will pull out the moisture! Chilling the mixture and then using a slotted spoon to serve into a new bowl can help too. Those would be my best tips.
With my crew, I’m often tasked with bringing a “healthier” dish and I’m always set on making folks see that healthy doesn’t mean lacking in flavor. This dish did exactly that! I will be making again soon and all summer long as a grilling side! Thank you!!