• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
BetterFoodGuru
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers and Dips
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Salads
    • Soups & Stews
    • Dessert
    • 30 Minutes or Less
  • Essential Links
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
  • Links
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad

    March 16, 2023 by Sara Tercero 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This broccoli rabe and bean salad is insanely delicious. The colors and flavors are next level in this gorgeous, vegan and gluten free bean and veggie salad. Broccoli rabe is one of my most favorite bitter vegetables. It combines so well with Mediterranean vibe of roasted peppers, olives and tomatoes. Plus the roasted pepper and oregano vinaigrette is so sweet and tangy. The added garlic brings out the flavor of the broccoli rabe and makes the meaty white beans super flavorful. Lastly the red cabbage gives this salad a burst of color and texture. I love red cabbage in a salad because it makes it incredibly meal prep friendly since cabbage does not break down once dressed. This beautiful salad is one of my best recipes. I hope you try it.

    image Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad

    What is broccoli rabe?

    Broccoli rabe is a cruciferous vegetable. Although it has broccoli in the name it is closer in relation to turnip. Some people call it "broccoli rahbey", some say "broccoli rahb" and many call it rapini. It is made up of long bright green leaves and small buds that resemble tiny broccoli. 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. Broccoli rabe is a bitter green that has a very distinct taste. 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. I chose to simplify this broccoli rabe and bean salad by adding a clove of garlic to the dressing. This really makes the flavor pop.

    image broccoli rabe
    Raw broccoli rabe on a sheet pan ready to oven roast

    Ingredients for Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad

    Broccoli Rabe can be found in most markets that have a good produce selection. If you cannot find them, a good substitute could be Brussels sprouts or even cauliflower but it will change the vibe of the dish substantially. For white beans you can use cannellini beans, great northern beans or butter beans. If white beans are not available, chickpeas are a good substitute. Persian cucumbers are my favorites but if you cannot find them, substitute 1 English cucumber per 3 Persians. I like to forego refined sugar in my recipes and I almost always use pure maple syrup. The dressing contains pure maple but you may use agave syrup or date syrup with the same results. Or substitute the sugar of your preference.

    • Broccoli Rabe 
    • baby bell peppers 
    • olive oil
    • salt
    • black pepper
    • olive oil
    • maple syrup
    • white balsamic vinegar
    • oregano flakes
    • salt
    • garlic
    • Persian cucumbers 
    • white beans
    •  red cabbage
    • tomatoes 
    • pitted calamata olives

    How to make Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad

    This is a very easy three step recipe. Roasting the broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers on the same sheet pan makes it really simple. While the veggies are roasting it is the perfect time to chop the vegetables for the salad. Last make the dressing so that you can use the roasted peppers from step one.

    • 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.
    image broccoli rabe and bean salad

    More delicious vegan salads

    • Kale Pesto Pasta Salad
    • Fig, Radicchio and Hazelnut Salad
    • Pretty Beet and Potato Salad
    image closeup of broccoli rabe and white bean salad

    Broccoli Rabe and Bean Salad

    This gorgeous Mediterranean rainbow salad is full of flavor and nutritious ingredients. It features broccoli rabe, white beans, roasted peppers, olives and a creamy garlic and roasted pepper vinaigrette. Cabbage as a base makes this ideal for meal prep plus gives it a lot of crunch and texture.
    3.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Dessert, lunch, Main Course, mezze, Salad, starter
    Cuisine American, california, fusion, Italian, Mediterranean
    Servings 5 servings
    Calories 287 kcal

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 12gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 186mgPotassium: 915mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2863IUVitamin C: 84mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 5mg
    Keyword allergen friendly, beans, beans and greens, cruciferous, crunchy, dressing, easy dinner, healthy, meal-salad, salad, sheet pan
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Kale Pesto Pasta Salad
    Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tina strawn

      January 29, 2024 at 9:28 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic!

    2. Sara Tercero

      January 29, 2024 at 9:32 pm

      So happy you liked it, I love broccoli rabe!

    3. Toni

      April 15, 2024 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      Five stars for the dressing alone! Made it in 2 minutes and tastes so good! Thank you 🙂

    4. Sara Tercero

      April 23, 2024 at 1:09 pm

      Thanks Toni, the salad sauce is where it is at!

    5. Kathy

      June 13, 2024 at 8:31 am

      1 star
      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).

    6. Sara Tercero

      June 13, 2024 at 5:50 pm

      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.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About BetterFoodGuru

    image Sara Tercero

    Hi, I am Sara Tercero, the Chef behind BetterFoodGuru. It is my mission to prove that plants are delicious and to help others cook and eat their way to health and happiness. My recipes are inspired by global flavors and my love for eating the rainbow. Reach out on social media or leave a review with feedback!

    Categories

    Check Out These Recipes

    collage image of different cold vegan salad recipes that reads "no cook salads" with images of strawberry feta salad, watermelon salad, cucumber salad, street corn slaw, and more.

    Beat the Heat: 25 No Cook Salads for Easy Summer Meals

    collage image of cooling vegan summer salads like cucumber salads, fruit salsa, tomato salad, and more.

    27 Refreshing Vegan Summer Salads to Keep You Cool

    collage image of different vegan bbq salads like pasta salad, potato salad, kale salad, slaws, and more, all to take to summer BBQs.

    25+ Summery Vegan Salads to Bring to Your Next BBQ

    Copyright © 2025 Better Food Guru | Privacy Policy

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience

    Advertising.


    This Site is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement/

     
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT