Free Dinner Recipes E-book!   Download Now

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Almond Eater logo

  • Browse Recipes
    • Recipes by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • Meet Erin
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Browse Recipes +
    • Recipes by Course +
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet +
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • About Erin
  • Contact

Home » Recipes » Dairy Free

Cannellini Bean Salad

By Erin · April 17, 2021 · Updated June 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
  • Share
  • Tweet
Gluten FreeDairy FreeVeganVegetarian
white beans, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, radishes, and parsley on a platter and in a bowl

This Cannellini Bean Salad is the ultimate spring and summertime recipe! It's made with cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion, and drizzled with a simple lemon dressing. It's light yet flavorful, plant-based and ready in just 10 minutes!

white beans, tomatoes, cucumbers on an oval-shaped platter

It’s about time I create a recipe with cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), and this cannellini bean salad is SO perfect for spring! 

If you need a plant-based lunch/dinner/side recipe, this salad is for you. It kind of reminds me of my Mediterranean chickpea tuna salad, and I guarantee I’ll be making it all summer long. 

Recipe features

  • Uses beans as the main ingredient and the protein, so it’s filling while still staying vegetarian
  • Loaded with good-for-you veggies like tomatoes, cucumber and red onion
  • Drizzled in a super simple “dressing” that gives it a light flavor 
salad ingredients with text overlay

Ingredient notes:

  • Cannellini beans: Though these are the main ingredient, you can also sub great northern beans or baby lima beans. Just know that they all have slightly different flavors, so it won’t taste exactly the same. 
  • Tomatoes: Grape, cherry, or diced roma 
  • Cucumber: Chopped; I almost always prefer seedless 
  • Red onion: Sliced or diced; can sub shallot if you’re in a pinch, though I would cut the amount in half 
  • Radishes: If there’s one ingredient to omit, it’d be the radishes. I love them, but they aren’t 100% essential (though they do add a lovely color to it!) 
  • Parsley: No substitution 
  • Lemon: Again, no substitution; Always buy fresh lemons and squeeze the juice out rather than buying pre-made lemon juice 
  • White wine vinegar: Can use red wine vinegar if you prefer (both are delicious!) 
  • Olive oil: I love providing alternatives to olive oil (like avocado or coconut); however, in this case, ya gotta use olive oil. Trust me! It pairs so well with white beans and is the base in the “dressing”.

Method

Step 1: Rinse the beans. We’re using canned beans, so be sure to pour them into a strainer and rinse them with cold water to remove any of the juices from the can. 

drained cannellini beans in a strainer

Step 2: Chop the veggies. Next, dice or chop up any of the vegetables you’re using. For this recipe, that’s tomatoes, cucumber, onion, radishes, and parsley. 

Step 3: Combine. Last, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar together. Add the beans and vegetables to a large bowl, drizzle the dressing overtop and stir to combine. 

bean salad in a pink mixing bowl

Tips and FAQs

-Feel free to add feta (regular or vegan) to this to take it up a notch! 

-This salad tastes even better the next day (in my opinion), so prepping it at the beginning of the week is a great idea. 

-Feel free to customize this to your liking; other delicious add-ins include:

  • chicken
  • baked tofu
  • zucchini
  • red bell pepper
  • yellow squash
  • black olives
  • ...so many more options!

What’s the difference between cannellini beans and great northern beans? 

According to Camellia brand, cannellini beans are the largest white bean (hence why they're sometimes referred to as white kidney beans) and they have a slightly nutty flavor. Great northern beans are known for their mild flavor, and they're medium in size.

You can read more about white beans and their differences here.

Can this be prepped ahead of time? 

Yes! I wouldn't prep it more than 24 hours in advance, but the longer it sits the more the beans will absorb the lemon juice and white wine vinegar, which makes it even more delicious.

Storage

  • Refrigerator: Store cannellini bean salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
  • Freezer: Since this salad is already cold, you can make it then immediately transfer it to 2 sealed plastic bags and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
white beans, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon wedge on a platter

More delicious bean recipes:

  • Easy Vegan Chili
  • Tomato Bacon Green Bean Salad
  • Vegan Minestrone Soup
  • Fudgy Black Bean Brownies 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks! 

white beans, tomatoes, cucumbers on an oval-shaped platter

Cannellini Bean Salad

Cannellini Bean Salad is the ultimate spring and summertime recipe! It's made with cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion, and drizzled with a simple lemon dressing. It's light yet flavorful, plant-based and ready in just 10 minutes!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 30 oz. cannellini beans (2 cans); drained and rinsed
  • ¾ cup grape tomatoes sliced
  • ½ cup cucumber chopped
  • ⅓ cup red onion sliced or diced
  • 2 radishes thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup parsley chopped
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Pour the cans of beans into a large strainer and rinse them with water, removing any of the juices that were on them from the cans; set aside.
  • Next, slice/dice/chop the veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, radishes, and parsley. Add the beans and veggies to a large bowl.
  • Whisk the oil, lemon juice and vinegar together, then drizzle it over the bean salad and toss. Last, add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation 
*Storage: store beans in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; or, place them into 1-2 freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 2 months
*Feel free to add whatever ingredients you have in your refrigerator -- this salad is easy to customize! Other easy add-ins include: chicken, tofu, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow squash, black olives, feta cheese 

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
« Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Shredded Chipotle Chicken Tacos »

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

girl in kitchen

Hi, I'm Erin!

I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

Seasonal Picks

pasta salad made with mediterranean ingredients

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

bowl with lemon orzo salad beside a small dish of chopped fresh basil

Lemon Orzo Salad

cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out

Vegan Carrot Cake

berries and ice cream in a bowl

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Popular Recipes

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

bowl with ground pork and vegetables

Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

sweet potato brownies

Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies

dog eating cake

Mini Dog Birthday Cake

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash | squash filled with onions, mushrooms and kale for a healthy, vegetarian meal | thealmondeater.com

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash

As Featured On

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge

Copyright© 2023 | The Almond Eater. Site Credit

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter