Marinated White Bean Salad
Marinated White Bean Salad. This white bean salad recipe is perfect for simple plant-based meals.
Ready for luscious, creamy white bean salad!? Me too. I have such a love affair with beans and my goal is to convince everyone that not only are beans inexpensive and packed with nutrition, they are also delicious.
This white bean salad is a simple way of upgrading a can of plain beans. Similar to my marinated lentil salad, you’ll add in plenty of herbs, some roasted red peppers if you’d like and a homemade, tangy dressing. These beans are delicious straight from the fridge, thrown onto your favorite grain bowl or salad or piled high on crusty sourdough bread.
Ingredients you’ll need
In addition to a few cans of creamy white beans, you will need:
- Fresh herbs, I prefer a mix of both fresh basil and parsley, but the full amount of either works
- Roasted Red Bell pepper
- Fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh garlic
- Dried Italian Herbs
And that’s it! This white bean salad recipe is so simple to put together, thanks to a short ingredient list.
Can you sub in other types of beans?
White beans are really the best here as their mild, creamy flavor pairs well with the dressing and herbs.
However, any type of white bean works. Navy beans, Great Northern Beans, Cannellini Beans and even Gigante beans will work in this recipe.
How to serve White Bean Salad
I love this simple white bean salad on it’s own with a few sliced tomatoes and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. It’s also incredible scooped onto your favorite salad or grain bowl.
For a hearty breakfast, I love toasting a giant slice of sourdough bread and then topping it with this salad. It’s incredibly filling and the dressing from the beans soaks into the crusty bread perfectly. Hope you try it!
Health Benefits of Beans
I talk a lot about the health benefits of plant-based diets; the science is pretty clear that eating more plants is best for reducing chronic disease and a lot of the why is because of the compounds that are found in foods like beans.
Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
Beans are free of cholesterol and saturated fat, two nutrients which can contribute to cardiovascular disease when eaten in excess. A 2019 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 16% and dying from a heart-related condition by 31%.
The important caveat is that it’s not just about cutting back on meat and dairy, it’s about what you fill your plate with– whole grains, lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and of course– beans! All of these foods are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Reduced risk of Type II Diabetes
Once again, plant foods like beans are lower in saturated fat and much higher in fiber– two factors which contribute to developing the disease. You don’t have to go 100% plant-based, but increasing plant-based protein sources like lentils and beans can help reduce risk of Type II diabetes.
Hope you love this marinated white bean salad! If you try it, make sure to come back to rate it and leave a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
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Marinated White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, I like a mix of parsley and basil
- 1/3 cup chopped jarred roasted red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon each dried parsley and oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the beans, herbs and roasted bell pepper in a large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic clove, parsley, oregano and maple syrup.
- Pour over the beans and lightly toss; season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper, adding more vinegar (or lemon juice) for brightness/acidity, salt or pepper for balance or olive oil for richness. This recipe is really forgiving depending on how you like your beans.
Nutrition