This white bean salad is the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy, light and satisfying. It goes so well in lettuce “cups," scooped onto your favorite bread, or served over a bed of greens for a meal that fills you up without weighing you down. This one is super fresh and has all the flavor notes: sweet, savory, salty, umami, and tangy. It even has some crunch from the celery, cucumbers, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, plus it’s creamy from the white beans and avocado. Best of all, it’s naturally gluten free and SOS-free!
What is a White Bean Salad?
If you're a fan of hearty marinated bean salads, this white bean version will be your new go-to.
Like my Mediterranean dense bean salad, this simple white bean salad is packed with fiber, protein, lots of fresh vegetables, just enough healthy fats, and a deeply flavorful dressing that tastes even better as it sits.
It's a high-protein vegan salad similar to classic chicken or tuna salad, except, obviously, without the meat.
It's quick to make, can be stored in the fridge for days, and are even eaten the same way.
But, it's so much lighter and fresher.
Creamy white beans stand in as the bulk of the recipe, ensuring you get plenty of protein to keep you going during the day, yet they're just as easy to make as a regular salad.
Ditch the traditional mayo-heavy dressing for the most delicious vinaigrette. It's a total flavor bomb and brings out the flavors in all the fresh vegetables.
Hearty, dense bean salads are the best way to simplify your meal prep and eat very well every single day. Make them for work lunches, a quick meal, or an easy side dish - you will not be disappointed!
Why you’ll love this Cannellini Bean Salad Recipe
- Super simple salad ready in just 15 minutes
- Packed with plant-based protein and fiber from lots of beans, nuts, and fresh veggies
- Coated in the most delicious miso balsamic dressing
- Naturally oil-free, vegan, and vegetarian
- Great side dish for entertaining but filling enough to serve like a plant-based version of chicken or egg salad
- Fantastic make-ahead option for your weekly meal prep
- Relies on simple ingredients already hanging out in your pantry
Ingredients for White Bean Salad
It doesn't take much to make the most delicious white bean salad. Start by raiding your pantry for some staples, then bring on the fresh ingredients, like lots of veggies, herbs, and avocado.
- Canned cannellini beans - Also known as white kidney beans, these are the star of the show as they add a creamy, nutty flavor that works wonderfully with the other ingredients in this recipe. You can also use other types of white beans, like Great Northern beans, Navy beans, butter beans, and more.
- Walnuts - Walnuts are a fantastic source of heart-healthy fats and offer the most delicious crunch.
- Veggies - Load it up with crunchy celery, meaty roasted bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and Persian cucumber.
- Avocado - For plenty of natural healthy fats to add creaminess without any added oil.
- Fresh herbs - I like to use a mixture of green onion and fresh parsley for lots of fresh flavor.
- Pumpkin seeds - These offer a second layer of texture and more plant-based fats, protein, and fiber.
- Fresh lemon juice - Adds a bright citrus note and a little acidity. Feel free to add the lemon zest, too.
- Balsamic vinegar - For a rich, sweet tanginess.
- Dark miso - This is the secret ingredient here. It adds an intensely earthy flavor umami punch that makes the salad taste complex without any added oil or salt.
Bonus tip: This recipe is made without a traditional vinaigrette, instead using the miso, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar as an oil-free vinaigrette. If you aren't eating oil-free, you can add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if you'd like.
How to Make the Best White Bean Salad
This simple white bean salad requires just a few moments of effort to prep all the ingredients and bring everything together. No need to heat, blend, or puree anything. It's the perfect option during the hot summer months when you can't be bothered to turn on the stove!
- In a large mixing bowl, add miso, lemon and balsamic vinegar and mix until well combined
- Then add avocado, tomato, cucumber, parsley beans, celery, bell peppers, green onions, walnuts and pumpkin seeds to the bowl and give it a good stir.
- Put on your favorite bread or in romaine lettuce leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Storing Suggestions
Place the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge and serve within 3 days.
Tips for Making the Best Easy White Bean Salad
- Let it rest. Any marinated bean salad tastes best after at least an hour when the dressing gets a chance to infuse into the ingredients. You don't have to wait, but it tastes even better the next day.
- Use a variety of white beans. For extra texture, you can combine the cannellini beans with butter beans for another texture and an even creamier flavor. Or, use whichever kind of beans you prefer.
- Shop the garden. This recipe can be adjusted with many of your favorite summer veggies. Add some red onion, sliced Campari or grape tomatoes, English cucumbers, and your favorite herbs.
- Add cheese. If you like incorporating vegan cheeses into your meals, add some vegan feta cheese for a creamy, salty note.
FAQs
Serve this white bean salad similar to a traditional chicken salad - as a main dish on its own, with crusty bread, over greens, or spooned into lettuce cups. It has the same convenience of those non-vegan protein salads, yet with 100% plant-based ingredients.
Canned beans make this recipe inexpensive and quick to make, but dried beans work just as well. Just be sure to soak and cook them first, then let them cool before mixing the ingredients together.
SOS refers to salt, oil, and sugar, three ingredients that many vegans try to avoid in pursuit of eating more whole foods. Eliminating these three ingredients as part of an SOS-free diet requires you to opt for whole foods that are more dense in nutrients. This is also a great way to pack in lots of flavor, like using fermented miso for saltiness, avocado for oil, and dates or fresh fruits for natural sweetness.
Other Delicious Vegan Bean Salad Recipes
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Hearty & Filling Vegan White Bean Salad (Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned cannellini beans drained
- 2 tbsp walnut halves and pieces
- 4 tbsp celery chopped
- 1 roasted bell peppers chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 Persian cucumber chopped
- 1 avocado cut in bite sized pieces
- 1 green onion green and white parts chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dark miso
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add miso, lemon and balsamic vinegar and mix until well combined.
- Then add avocado, tomato, cucumber, parsley beans, celery, bell peppers, green onions, walnuts and pumpkin seeds to the bowl and mix well.
- Put on your favorite bread or in romaine lettuce leaves.
- Enjoy within 3 days.