Easy White Bean Salad

February 23, 2022

This quick white bean salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavor! It’s great for a fast lunch or an easy side dish.

We’re always on the hunt for quick and easy lunch ideas over here. Here’s our newest invention you can mix up in minutes: White Bean Salad! It’s bursting with Mediterranean flavor from simple ingredients: bell pepper brings a crunch, parsley an herbaceous bite, and red wine vinegar brings a zing of acidity. Top with a sprinkle of feta, and it’s irresistibly tasty with minimal effort. We often lean on bean recipes for healthy lunches, and this simple mix hits it out of the park for us. It also does double duty as an easy side dish!

Ingredients in white bean salad

This white bean salad is perfect for lunches: we created the recipe as something you could whip up on the fly right before eating. Or, it’s great as a party salad: especially for summer picnics or potlucks! The ingredients are optimized for it to stay well in the refrigerator, but it’s great for eating right away. Here’s what you’ll need for this white bean salad:

Navy beans or cannellini beans (see below)
Red pepper
Red onion or shallot
Parsley
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Feta cheese

Navy beans vs cannellini

This white bean salad leans on a bean that’s worth seeking out: navy beans! They’re small and have a velvety texture and nutty flavor. Cannellini beans are easiest to find at the grocery, but they can sometimes taste a little mushy. Navy beans have a nice pop when you bite into them, which makes them our top choice for this salad.

Navy beans are worth seeking out, though sometimes we have a harder time finding them at our local grocery (yes, we’ve made some extra grocery trips!). Of course, you can substitute cannellini beans if desired and this salad still tastes great.

Olive oil & vinegar quantities

One note on the oil and vinegar quantities in this white bean salad! We’ve provided two options depending on how you’re serving it.

Use less oil and vinegar if eating right away. Make it to eat for lunch right away, and you can get away with ½ tablespoon oil and vinegar. It tastes great right when you mix it up.
Use more if storing it refrigerated or making for a party. Use 1 tablespoon each oil and vinegar and it makes more of a marinated bean salad texture. This is best here because it can dry out in the fridge or as it sits.

Make a double batch for a party

Want to make this white bean salad for a party? The quantity in the recipe below makes enough for 2 large lunch servings or 4 small servings as a side dish. We kept it this size because we eat it primarily as a lunch salad: and it’s easy to double.

Making it for a party or entertaining? Make a double batch! You’ll want to use the larger quantity of oil and vinegar for the party size, which will be 2 tablespoons each oil and vinegar. Click the 2x button in the recipe below.

Ways to serve this white bean salad

This white bean salad is ultra versatile: it works from healthy lunches to picnics to cookouts to quick sides! Here are a few ways to serve it:

For lunches, stored in a covered jar
With shrimp like baked shrimp or sautéed shrimp as a fast and easy meal
With salmon like baked salmon or pan seared salmon
At a picnic or potluck (double recipe)
With chopped ripe tomatoes when in season
With other fresh herbs like basil, oregano, chives or thyme when in season

More bean salad recipes

Love a good bean salad? We could eat them every day of the week. Here are a few more ways to use beans:

Try our fan favorite Classic Three Bean Salad
Whip up this lightening fast Quick Black Bean and Corn Salad
Opt for Black Bean & Rice Salad
Grab easy bean side dishes: Easy White Beans, Easy Cannellini Beans, Easy Canned Chickpeas or Easy Black Beans

This white bean salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the feta cheese.