White Bean Salad
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One of my favorite lunches is this super quick white bean salad. It’s packed with flavorful fluffy beans drizzled in a tangy lemon garlic dressing. It’s a no-frills meal. Bold, simple, and nutritious.
Published on March 2023/Updated on Feb 2025
I’m all about easy, filling lunches that can be whipped up quickly, especially when they are satisfying, healthy, and a huge hit with the entire family.
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This quick and easy white bean salad meets all of those. It’s one of our favorite salad recipes for busy weekdays, meal prep, potlucks, or picnics.
I make it all the time, like my bread and beans and beans on toast, and it’s perfect for those days when you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen.
First, we start with canned or cooked white beans, one of my favorite inexpensive and versatile pantry staples, absolutely great for getting your daily healthy dose of plant-based protein.
Then, we add sliced red onion and chopped parsley for a nice pop of flavor and color, and we bring everything together with an oil-lemon-garlic dressing sweetened with a touch of honey. And you’re done.
See? Embarrassingly easy!
But it’s surprisingly good, satisfying, and nutritious. It’s also versatile, so you can mix different flavors and textures and add fresh add-ins or cooked grains to make a more substantial meal. Or serve it with our favorite Italian crostini for extra flavor and a delicious crunch!
I’m sure you’ll love this vegan, easy white bean salad. It can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand, and it’s super easy to customize if you wish.
This recipe is right for you next time you need a quick and easy meal!
List of the ingredients
- White beans
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey or Maple syrup
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Salt & pepper
How to make a white bean salad
(Note: this is quick explanation; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Place all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake.
- Chop the parsley.
- Place your rinsed and drained beans in a large bowl.
- Add the dressing and parsley, and toss until well combined and coated.
- Serve with croutons, some easy bread, focaccia, or crispy breadsticks. Done!
Recipe Notes
White bean salad ingredients
White beans: I used canned butter beans that are large and firm enough to hold up to the stirring and don’t get mushy. However, the recipe works with a variety of white beans, such as Great Northern beans, cannellini, or white kidney beans. You can use canned or home-cooked beans, but make sure they are not overcooked or too mushy when they come out of the can.
Red onion: Make sure your red onion is fresh and firm. Green onions or scallions work perfectly fine if you prefer another option.
Parsley: There are plenty of fresh herbs here, but if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand, use about 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
Dressing: The tangy dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, punchy garlic for flavor, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup for sweetness. You can use white or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and honey instead of maple syrup. Finish off with some salt and pepper, and if you love an extra zippy flavor, add some lemon zest to the mix as well.
Add-ins are welcome!
There are so many ways to customize this easy white bean salad recipe. Feel free to get creative and use what ingredients you love most. For example:
- Fresh veggies & herbs: Grape tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, finely sliced celery, fresh basil, fresh dill, or mint.
- Grilled add-ins: Red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, or chicken… all delicious!
- Jarred ingredients: Hello olives, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes!
- Carbs: Cooked brown rice, quinoa, or croutons for a full meal.
- Cheese: crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese, and mini mozzarella balls would also be delicious in this salad.
What to serve with this bean salad
This Mediterranean white bean salad is excellent after a quick pasta dish like lemon garlic pasta, or pesto pasta. It would also be a great side dish for cream cheese pizza, mozzarella pizza, or you can mix it with these marinated cherry tomatoes for an amazing bruschetta topping!
More bean recipes?
Of course! If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know my love for beans. I recently published this collection of bean recipes and recipes with cannellini beans you don’t want to miss! Below are a few of our favorites.
- Mediterranean bean salad
- White bean stew
- Pasta with black beans
- Cannellini bean salad
- Italian white bean soup
- Best white bean soup
- Lima bean soup
- Mediterranean bean salad
- White bean pasta
- Kidney bean soup
Lastly, if you make this white bean salad, let me know. Leave a comment and/or rate this recipe. I would love to hear from you guys and get your feedback!
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White bean salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Honey or maple syrup
- 1 large garlic clove, or to your taste
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
White bean salad
- 2 cans (15 oz each) White beans, rinsed and drained*
- ¼ – ⅓ Red onion, peeled and finely sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, place the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake vigorously until well combined and emulsified.
- Assemble the salad: add the beans, the sliced onion (use a bit more if you like), and the herbs to a large mixing bowl. Shake the dressing again, pour it over, and toss until well combined and coated. Taste and make sure you're happy with the seasoning (add more salt or pepper if you wish).
- Serve: if time allows, chill the salad in the refrigerator for an hour before serving to allow the beans to marinate and the flavor to mingle. Serve with crusty bread or place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
