I’ve been leaning on canned beans a lot lately because they’re just super fast and easy to make things with, and, as grocery prices continue to climb, they’re an inexpensive way to fill my belly. I made this super simple Lemony White Bean Salad the other day for meal prep and it was too easy and too good not to share. It makes a great side dish, or you can add a few more ingredients to make it a meal!
What’s in this White Bean Salad?
I love simple food, and this bean salad is a great example. It’s just white beans, thinly sliced red onion, a little parsley, and a quick homemade lemon vinaigrette. Quick, simple, delicious, and FRESH.
What Kind of White Beans Are Best
For this salad, you want a bean that is fairly large and firm so they don’t fall apart when the salad is stirred together. I used cannellini beans, but butter beans would also do well. I would avoid using navy beans or great northern beans for this recipe.
What to Serve with White Bean Salad
I served this salad as part of my weekly meal prep along with some Garlic Marinated Chicken, and a few triangles of pita. It would also go great with Mediterranean Turkey Burgers, Baked Cod, Chimichurri Chicken Kebabs, or as an addition to a Hummus Lunch Box.
What Else Can I Add?
Because this recipe is so simple and basic, there are a lot of ways to dress it up and make it into something new! So browse your fridge and pantry for ingredients that might need to be used up, because chances are you can add them to this salad! Here are a few ideas:
- Fresh or sun dried tomatoes
- Crumbled feta
- Fresh spinach
- Any fresh herbs (scallions, chives, basil, tarragon, cilantro, rosemary)
- Cucumbers
- Sautéed kale
- Tuna
- Grilled chicken
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Diced avocado
Lemony White Bean Salad
Servings 6 ½ cup eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.04)
- 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.05)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.06)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.01)
- 2 15oz. cans Cannellini beans ($1.78)
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley ($0.10)
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette first. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Rinse and drain the cannellini beans. Thinly slice the red onion and roughly chop the parsley.
- Place the beans, onions, and parsley in a bowl, then pour the vinaigrette over top. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking.
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Nutrition
How to Make Lemony White Bean Salad – Step by Step Photos
Make the Lemon Vinaigrette first so the flavors have a few minutes to chill. Simply whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 clove of minced garlic, ⅛ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp freshly cracked pepper.
Rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans.
Thinly slice about ¼ of a red onion and roughly chop about 2 Tbsp of parsley. Add the beans, onions, and parsley to a bowl, then pour the vinaigrette over top.
Stir the ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking.
You can serve the salad immediately or let it chill in the refrigerator for a while. It will be good for 3-4 days and the flavors will blend more as time goes on. Always give it a good stir to redistribute the flavors just before serving!
Had to double the dressing. Otherwise a good protein salad