This Italian bean salad with broccoli rabe is a flavor explosion. Roasted broccoli rabe combines with veggies and white beans then gets tossed in a delicious garlicky roasted pepper and oregano vinaigrette that is sweet and tangy. There's sweetness from the dressing and roasted peppers, crunchy freshness from the cucumbers and red cabbage, tang from tomatoes and briny Kalamata olives and the distinct bitterness of roasted rapini (broccoli rabe). This is next level flavor.
What is Broccoli Rabe?
Broccoli rabe is a cruciferous vegetable that resembles little tiny broccoli florets tucked into lush, leafy greens. All parts of the plant are edible making it a great treat for texture lovers. The greens, stems and buds all get tender when roasting, steaming or sautéing.
Although it has broccoli in the name it is actually closer in relation to turnip. Broccoli rabe is a bitter green that has a very distinct taste. It tastes more like a turnip, slightly peppery and earthy.
Some people call it "broccoli rahbey", some say "broccoli rahb" and others call it rapini. Which pronunciation do you use?
For this recipe we do a simple sheet pan roast which leaves the broccoli rabe tender yet still very green. Many people roast or sauté the broccoli rabe with garlic but we add garlic to the dressing for this recipe.
Why you'll love this Italian Bean Salad
- Healthy and chock full of Whole Foods and fiber
- Vibrantly colored making an impressive presentation
- Easy to make, no nonsense cooking methods
- Super fresh and tasty
- Chock full of Mediterranean flavors like garlic, roasted peppers and olives
- Perfect for any season
Cooking Tip:
Line the sheet pan with parchment paper before roasting the broccoli rabe for easier cleanup times!
Italian Bean Salad Ingredients
Most of the ingredients for this bean salad are easy to find. The broccoli rabe is the only specialty item on your list. If it's not available substitute broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
- Broccoli Rabe: The star of this bean salad recipe
- Roasted Peppers: Give the salad and dressing a pop of bright flavor and color
- Cherry tomatoes: For a little tangy freshness
- White Beans: Meaty beans for protein and extra fiber. Use Cannelini or Great Northerns
- Pitted Kalamata Olives-The briny olives are a must!
- Red Cabbage- Gives the salad some crunch
- Cucumbers- For freshness and hydration
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- The base of the dressing
- Salt and Black Pepper
- White Balsamic Vinegar- A little sweeter than regular
- Pure Maple Syrup- to balance the tang of the dressing
- Garlic- makes the dressing zesty.
- Oregano Flakes-a distinctly Italian flavor
Garlic tip: If raw garlic is too pungent for you, or if you have a sensitive stomach, leave it out of the dressing. Instead consider chopping the garlic and tossing it with the broccoli rabe before roasting.
How to Make Italian Bean Salad
This is a very easy and quick recipe with very few steps
- Roast the broccoli rabe and peppers
- Chop the salad ingredients while the veggies cook
- Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a blender
- Combine the salad ingredients and toss with the tangy dressing
Tips for Making the Best Bean Salads
- Add grains. Pasta, quinoa or wild rice will transform this side salad to a filling meal.
- Make it a dense bean salad by adding more beans. Try it with earthy lentils, meaty chickpeas or kidney beans. Beans are superfoods, full of protein and fiber perfect for a plant-based diet.
- Bulk up on veggies. Add roasted cauliflower, roast some eggplant or add massaged kale.
- Magnify the Mediterranean vibe by adding extra olives and artichoke hearts. Multicolor olives will give it an Italian vibe and flavor that is unforgettable.
FAQs
Many people are used to roasting or sautéing their broccoli rabe because garlic goes so well with the bitter and distinct flavor of this vegetable. I say go for it! Since I try to make my recipes as easy as possible, I cut corners when I can for less chopping. But I definitely love broccoli rabe roasted with garlic and I think you will too.
Yes! I choose a sheet pan because it is a low maintenance way to cook. Basically you just set the timer and forget it. But if you prefer to sauté in a pan on top of the stove, that will be just fine for this recipe.
By all means substitute whichever beans you do like. I think butter beans, chickpeas or kidney beans are best for this recipe.
Regular broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans would be my top 3 choices for a sub. But get creative! Roasted eggplant, zucchini or any seasonal squashes are great vegetables in salads like this one.
Absolutely, in fact I prefer fresh but it's not always easy to find. Which is why I used dry in this salad recipe.
Other Delicious Bean Salads
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Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 1 bunch Broccoli Rabe chopped rustically in bite size pieces
- 4 baby bell peppers whole
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp oregano flakes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 ea baby bell peppers roasted with the roasted veggies
Salad
- 3 ea Persian cucumbers chopped
- 15 oz white beans
- 3 cups red cabbage
- 20 cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 calamata olives sliced
Instructions
Roasted Veggies
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- On a sheet pan add the chopped broccoli rabe and whole baby bell peppers. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Roast for 20 minutes. Flip once halfway.
- Let cool. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle remove seeds and stems. Chop 4 for the salad and reserve 2 for the dressing.
Dressing
- Add peppers to a blender with the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Salad
- To a large mixing bowl add the beans, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives and broccoli rabe.
- Pour the dressing over and toss well.
- For best quality consume within 3-4 days.
Tina strawn
Fantastic!
Sara Tercero
So happy you liked it, I love broccoli rabe!
Toni
Five stars for the dressing alone! Made it in 2 minutes and tastes so good! Thank you 🙂
Sara Tercero
Thanks Toni, the salad sauce is where it is at!
Kathy
I wanted to like this salad. The dressing is delicious and the ingredients are so wonderful but I feel it would've been better served by having a less sweet dressing to compliment the bitterness of the rapini. Something with sharpness and punch would've been more appropriate. My husband wouldn't eat it all and while I did, we threw the rest out. Sadly it was a miss for us. (And believe me, we are not picky eaters and we do like rapini, just not done in this way).
Sara Tercero
Hi Kathy thanks for the feedback. Sorry to hear you did not like it. I am wondering what went wrong to be honest, especially since the previous comments were quite positive! Did you use pure maple syrup or perhaps something went wrong in the measurements. Either way sorry it did not work out for you.Thanks for trying it.
Paula
Here it is 2025 and I finally made this recipe for a carry in. It was delicious however the broccoli rabe was a little too bitter for me. Everyone else raved about it. I really want to make this again and am wondering if I can substitute broccoli or a way to make the rabe a little less bitter? I am not vegan or vegetarian however I eat less meat since I found your recipes. Yummy!
Sara Tercero
Hi Paula. Well, the thing is, broccoli rabe is bitter, it's in the turnip family so it has a really distinct flavor that is unlike anything else in the world! That being said, you can sub broccoli or broccolini if you don't love that flavor. It's def an acquired taste! Thanks for the 5 stars and how wonderful that you are eating more veggies. That really warms my heart!
Lily
Easy to make and very tasty. My family loved this salad. I love that it is so full of healthy vegetables and so adaptable. Made it the first time tonight, may try with broccoli or broccolini for a different flavor profile. Looking forward to making more of your beautiful salads this summer.
Sara Tercero
Thanks for the feedback Lily, I appreciate you taking the time to add a review. Great idea switching out the broccoli rabe for broccoli, the flavors will be milder but also very tasty.