This white bean salad is incredibly easy to make and full of fresh flavor. It makes a great side, and travels well too. It’s a tasty, versatile dish.
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There are lots of times where we seem to fall into the same old sides, but now and then I get a bit inspired, even if that means keeping things simple.
Not so long ago, I made some relatively simple roast chicken with Spanish-inspired flavors. As I was thinking what to go alongside, I got to thinking about some of the simple bean salads we sometimes had when I lived in Spain. It was the perfect accompaniment and reminded we should have bean salads more often.
White bean salad: a discovery in Spain
One of the things I loved about living in Spain was the fantastic food. And what was even better for people like me who can’t decide what to eat sometimes, is eating tapas meant I didn’t always have to narrow it down to one thing.
I know some people don’t like to share their food, but for me if it means I can try four or more things on a menu rather than just one, I’m all for it. Plus it lets you balance out meaty dishes like pinchos moruños or wine marinated steak with veggies and other sides like patatas bravas and pan con tomate (tomato bread).
A simple bean salad like this is a dish I sometimes got near where I lived in Catalunya, and it is a great way to lighten up a meal. White beans are popular in Spain, often larger than the ones here, but really any work.
This white bean salad has become a bit more of a regular feature in our house after the first time I re-acquainted us with it. It works so well as a side with our main meal or as part of a lunch box, since it’s great to make ahead.
How to make a simple white bean salad
All you do is:
- Rinse the canned beans (or pre-cooked).
- Dice the tomato and onion.
- Roughly chop the parsley.
- Whisk together the dressing.
- Mix it up and that’s it.
It really takes no time to make but has lovely fresh flavors that go well with a broad range of dishes, from other tapas to grilled meats and more. So mix up some of this white bean salad for your next potluck or picnic, make it with dinner or have it for lunch. It’s so easy and tasty, it’s bound to be a regular in no time.
Try these other sides perfect for a potluck or picnic:
- Mexican street corn salad
- French lentil salad with feta
- Plus see more make ahead salads and summer recipes for more inspiration!
Easy white bean salad
Ingredients
- 14 oz cooked white beans 1 can, 397g, eg cannellini, small white, navy
- 1 tomato large, or 2 small
- 1/4 cup parsley (leaves from 20g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Rinse the canned beans (alternatively, you can pre-cook your own).
- Dice the tomato and onion into a relatively small dice, similar in size to the beans or smaller.
- Roughly chop the parsley and whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard for the dressing.
- Add the tomatoes, onion and dressing to the beans and gently mix together. Serve or store in the fridge until needed.
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline’s Cooking Amazon store.
Get more ideas perfect for summer entertaining:
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