Italian Cannellini Bean Salad – 5 Minute Recipe!

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Packed with fiber and plant-based protein, Cannellini Bean Salad is a healthy recipe for Italian white bean salad. It’s easy to make in only 5 minutes, and full of Mediterranean flavor! This is the perfect vegetarian and gluten free side dish for gatherings and busy weeknights. Make a bowl today!

What are Cannellini Beans?

Cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans), are one of several varieties of Italian white beans. The legumes have a deep nutty flavor and creamy consistency. Although legumes aren’t approved for Whole30 or Paleo diets, they are a great source of protein, fiber, and vitamins.

This Italian white bean salad recipe is high in protein, gluten free, and great for serving as a plant-based side dish or dinner salad.

Together, the Mediterranean inspired flavors are bright, and the finished dish is rustic, inviting, and just downright cozy. That’s a lot to say about a bean salad!!

The legumes aren’t a complete protein on their own, but that’s easy to fix! To make a complete protein, serve the salad with a healthy grain like broccoli rice, and/or some foil wrapped salmon, meatballs, or marinated chicken breasts.

You may also like: Greek Chickpea & Cucumber Salad, Mediterranean Salad with Tuna.

🍅 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Canned White Beans: This recipe uses canned Cannellini beans for ease, but dried beans will work too. Just plan to give yourself 7 to 8 hours of extra time to soak and cook them!
• Cherry Tomatoes: Feel free to use red or yellow cherry tomatoes, or any other small variety, like grape tomatoes.
• Red Onion: When the onion marinates in the vinegar dressing, it will remove a lot of the harshness! Feel free to substitute with any variety of onion that you like.
• Parsley: If you don’t want to use fresh herbs, substitute a mixture of dry Italian seasoning.
• Red Wine Vinegar: This a popular vinegar for most Italian dishes. Good substitutes for red wine vinegar are white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and rice wine vinegar.
• Olive Oil
• Coarse Salt and Black Pepper

➡️ If you don’t have cannellini beans, you can substitute with any white bean variety. Great Northern beans, navy beans, and baby lima beans all work.

Optional Add-Ins for Cannellini Bean Salad

These would be fabulous additional ingredients. Depending on what you have on hand and what you enjoy, feel free to add in any or all of the following:

• 1-2 Avocados, diced *
• 1 cup baby arugula*
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1 bell pepper, diced

*For best results, wait until just before serving to stir the avocado and/or arugula into the salad.

🔪 Tips for Making Italian White Bean Salad

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. The ingredient and the cooking process are incredibly easy to simple it is.

1. Prep the veggies and beans. Be sure to rinse the canned beans well under running water. Mince the onions and parsley. Slice the tomatoes in half.

2. Mix and serve: Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir well to combine everything. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can serve it immediately or cover the bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy it. After chilling, give the cannellini bean salad a quick toss before serving.

📝 Notes & Helpful Info

To make in advance

This recipe is great to make in advance! I’ve found it’s even better if you make it a day in advance and give the flavors a chance to meld together. If you’re making it more than a day in advance, leave the tomatoes and parsley separate, then mix them in before serving. That’ll give you the freshest tasting salad.

To store leftovers

Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator 3-4 days. Give it a good stir before you serve it to toss the dressing with the salad again!

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