Best Lemony White Bean Salad Recipe

I’ve been leaning heavily on canned beans lately because they’re so quick and easy to make, and as grocery prices continue to rise, it’s a cheap way to fill my belly. I made this super simple lemony white bean salad for meal prep the other day and it was so 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 perfect example. It’s just white beans, finely diced red onion, a little parsley, and a quick homemade lemon vinaigrette. Quick, simple, delicious, and fresh.

What Kinds of White Beans Are Best?

For this salad, you want beans that are large and sturdy enough so that they don’t fall apart when the salad is tossed together. I used cannellini beans, but butter beans would work well too. I would avoid using navy beans or great northern beans for this recipe.

What to serve with white bean salad.

I served this salad with some garlic marinated chicken and a few triangles of pita as part of my weekly meal prep. It would also be great with Mediterranean turkey burgers, baked cod, chimichurri chicken kebabs, or as an addition to a hummus lunch box.

What else can I add?

Since this recipe is so simple and basic, there are so many ways to dress it up and make it something new! So browse your fridge or pantry for ingredients that may need to be used, because chances are you can add them to this salad! Here are some ideas:

Fresh or sun-dried tomatoes
Crumbled feta
Fresh spinach
Any fresh herbs (scallions, chives, basil, tarragon, red pepper, rosemary)
Cucumbers
Roasted Cabbage
Tuna
Skewer
Finely chopped radishes
Sliced ??avocado

Lemony White Bean Salad

This simple lemony white bean salad is a cheap, light and fresh option for a summer meal or your weeknight meal prep.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

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 15 oz cannellini beans ($1.78)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped ($0.08)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley ($0.10)

Instructions

First make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Wash and drain the cannellini beans. Finely chop the red onion and roughly chop the parsley.
Place the beans, onion and parsley in a bowl, then pour the vinaigrette over the top. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt or pepper to your liking.

How to Make Lemon White Bean Salad – Step-by-Step Guide

Make the lemon vinaigrette first to give the flavors a few minutes to cool. Just 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 clove minced garlic, ? A teaspoon of salt, and? Teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
Rinse and drain two 15oz. Cans of cannellini beans.
Finely chop about ¼ of a red onion and chop about 2 tablespoons of parsley. Put the beans, onion and parsley in a bowl, then pour the vinaigrette over the top.
Stir the ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust salt or pepper to your liking.
You can serve the salad immediately or let it chill in the fridge for a while. It will keep good for 3-4 days and the flavors will meld more as time goes by. Always give it a good shake to redistribute the flavors before serving!