Italian Cannellini Bean Salad is a glorious combination of flavors and textures. It takes 10 minutes to make, and no cooking is required.
I spent many hours in the kitchen with both of my grandmothers while I was growing up. It’s where my love of cooking began, and I learned so much from them. I remember my grandma Abruzzese making a handful of recipes on repeat, and Italian Cannellini Bean Salad was one of them. My version isn’t exactly hers, but it’s pretty close!
My health journey is constantly evolving. As I get older and my body changes, so do the things it needs. I’ve prioritized protein for a long time, and my body needed it. I’ve finally been able to lose all my menopause weight and keep it off. I have more energy and sleep better. However, I was not getting enough fiber, and with my cholesterol levels slowly creeping up (thanks, menopause), I’ve been diligent about getting at least 35 to 40 grams daily.
In my quest to get in more fiber, I’ve been making a different bean salad every week. Beans are high in fiber, protein, and nutrients. They’re a superfood! And since salads are so versatile, you can load them with good-for-you ingredients to make them even healthier. This salad is one of our favorites, and it literally takes 10 minutes to make.
The star of the show is the sun-dried tomatoes. Their chewy, tart, sweet flavor is perfection with the creamy cannellini beans! One of these days, when I finally get around to making a list of what I consider to be pantry essentials, sun-dried tomatoes will be on it. They’re a flavor bomb and belong in every pantry!
Italian Cannellini Bean Salad
Don’t let the simplicity of the salad for you! It’s delicious! Creamy cannellini beans and fresh herbs are combined with sun-dried tomatoes plus their oil, resulting in a delicious and addicting salad you’ll want to make on repeat – I have been!
Why We Love It
- Healthy. The salad is packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins like iron, K, and folate.
- Easy! You can have this on the table in 10 minutes with very little prep and no cooking!
- Meal prep. This gets better as it sits, so make an extra batch to enjoy all week!
- Diet-friendly. This is gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, and vegan!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cannellini beans. Their creamy texture and mild flavor are perfect for this salad.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. They add a delightful chewiness and tangy, sweet flavor that I’m obsessed with!
- Sun-dried tomato oil. The tomatoes have been marinating in that oil. It’s sun-dried tomato deliciousness!
- Red wine vinegar. Gives a nice pop of acidity to brighten up and balance the dish.
- Italian parsley. And a lot of it! With a simple salad, every ingredient matters, and a generous amount of fresh parsley adds a bright, herbaceous flavor to the salad.
- Smoked paprika. Just a tiny bit of smoked paprika adds some pizazz. It’s optional but recommended!
- Salt and pepper. Because everything needs to be perfectly seasoned!
How to Make Italian Cannellini Bean Salad
- Rinse and drain your beans, and add them to a bowl large enough to mix the salad.
- Chop the parsley and add it to the bowl. Add the sun-dried tomato oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and smoked paprika.
- Stir gently, making sure all the ingredients are evenly combined. I like to use two small spatulas so as not to break up the beans too much.
- Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking. I love vinegar, so I add a little more. I almost always write my recipes with less vinegar than I use because I like a lot of acid. Remember that recipes are guides and not rules. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you want.
- Serve immediately, or let it marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes!
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Helpful Tips
- Canned beans are your friend. If you prefer to use dried beans and soak them, that’s your prerogative, but having a variety of canned beans on hand allows you to pull together salads like this in minutes.
- Start with less and add more. As I’ve mentioned many times on the site, you can always add more of an ingredient, but it’s harder to fix a recipe once you’ve added too much. Add a little at a time when adjusting things like salt, pepper, and vinegar.
- If you have one herb in your kitchen, let it be Italian parsley. It goes with virtually everything and lasts for at least a week, in my experience. Here’s how I prep it. When I get home from the store, I plunge the whole bunch into a big bowl of ice water and let it soak for 15 minutes. After removing it from the water, I shake it well to remove most of the water, trim the stems, and loosely pack it between several paper towels. Keep it in the fridge, and enjoy having parsley ready to go!
- Taste as you go. When I first started cooking, I remember not understanding what it meant when I heard things like salt bring out flavor or acids brighten up a dish. That’s like speaking another language to someone who has no kitchen experience. So, one of the first things you can do to start understanding ingredients and flavors is to taste as you go. Sometimes, you may think a dish is bland when, in reality, it just needs some salt. The same goes for acid. For example, I encourage you to taste this salad before and after adding salt and vinegar. The more you do this, the more you will get it, and it will help you become a much better cook.
- Stir well before serving. Dressing and sauces often work their way down to the bottom of the bowl, so giving it a good stir just before serving helps to evenly distribute the dressing to ensure every bite is delicious!
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy it on its own as a light meal or snack!
- It works beautifully alongside virtually any cooked protein, especially grilled meat and seafood.
- Serve it over a bed of greens like spinach, kale, or arugula to add volume.
- Add some cooked protein directly to the salad, and it’s a complete meal. Our favorite is shrimp!
- For a quick pasta salad, mix it into cooked pasta with a bit of extra olive oil in your cheese of choice.
Variations and Ingredient Substitutions
- Olives and or capers add a briny, salty flavor that’s absolutely delicious!
- Change up the herbs by adding fresh basil, thyme, or oregano.
- Try topping with crumbled feta, goat cheese, or shaved pecorino for a pop of cheesy goodness!
- Red wine vinegar is always my go-to, but white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar would all work well.
- Cannellini beans are often called white kidney beans. Great Northern Beans would be my second choice if you can’t find either. Having said that, if you have a favorite type of bean, use that! I’ve also made this with chickpeas. Although the textures are different, it’s delicious.
How To Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you’ve tried my Italian Cannellini Bean Salad or any recipe on my site, please leave a comment below!
Check out our vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb recipes if you have food sensitivities! |
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Italian Cannellini Bean Salad | 10 Minute Recipe
Ingredients
- 15.5 ounces cannellini beans
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Add the cannellini beans to a small strainer and rinse with cold water.
- Drain thoroughly, and add the beans to a mixing bowl.
- Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes, if necessary. Add to the beans.
- Add the parsley, vinegar, sun-dried tomato oil, and seasonings to the beans.
- Stir gently, making sure all the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.
Nutrition
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This was so tasty—perfect for an easy lunch option. Thank you!