Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad

Name: Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 large heirloom tomatoes (chopped); 1 small cucumber (diced); 15 ounces of white beans (any variety) (drained and rinsed); ¼ cup of finely diced red onion; ¼ cup of chopped basil (not packaged); 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional); Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

This 7-ingredient Tuscan white bean salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors like tomatoes, white beans, and basil, takes just 10 minutes to prepare, and can be enjoyed as a Summery appetizer, side, or light main!

Completed Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad in a bowl alongside utensils.

Jump to:

Fresh and Simple Tomato, Basil, and White Bean Salad
The Ingredients
What Else Could I add to The White Bean Salad?
How to Make White Bean Salad?
FAQs
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
Serving Recommendations
Storage Instructions
More Easy Vegan Meals
Easy Pastina Recipe (Italian Penicillin Soup!)
Vegan Gnocchi Soup
Vegan Manicotti (With Tofu Ricotta)
Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad

Fresh and Simple Tomato, Basil, and White Bean Salad

Beans are a staple in any vegan kitchen. They are inexpensive, super versatile, pantry-friendly, and packed with plant-based protein, antioxidants, and several nutrients such as iron, folate, potassium, vitamin B, and more. Making this simple Tuscan white bean salad as nutritious as it is delicious!

With classic Mediterranean flavors like tomato, cucumber, red onion, and white beans, this salad falls somewhere between a Tuscan and Greek white bean salad, tossed with a simple balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil dressing. All you need is a handful of simple ingredients and one bowl (yay for minimal cleanup) for this flavor explosion.

The resulting salad is a delicious combination of flavors, textures, and colors, and makes for a hearty and satisfying addition to any table. It’s also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, making it great as a diet-friendly addition to potlucks and gatherings.

As a bonus, this white bean tomato salad is also highly customizable with endless adaptions and variations to choose from based on what you have in your kitchen and what you are your family/guests like. And since it tastes even better on day two, I always make a big batch of this meal-prep-friendly summer salad!

Want more inspiration on how to add beans to your diet? You might enjoy this mixed bean and vegetable stew, butternut squash bean burrito, or vegetarian Instant Pot navy bean soup.

The Ingredients

Just 7 simple ingredients (plus salt & pepper) make up the base for this delicious tomato cucumber bean salad.

Ingredients for Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad measured out on a white surface.

Increase the amount of herbs (parsley and mint) used to make a delicious play on a white bean tabbouleh salad.

Add a few drops of maple syrup if you prefer some sweetness in the salad dressing.

What Else Could I add to The White Bean Salad?

This Mediterranean white bean salad recipe is very adaptable and hard to mess up. Here are just a few ways to build upon this vegan salad further.

Pasta or grains: Add one to two cups of cooked pasta or about ½-1 cup of grains like quinoa or farro for a heartier white bean pasta salad.
Garlic: Depending on the acid you use in the dressing, adding some minced garlic to the dressing for this bean salad will taste delicious.
Vegan cheese: Dairy-free mozzarella cheese will work particularly well to make a white bean Caprese salad. Vegan feta cheese could also work.
Olives: Halved or sliced kalamata olives or black olives would work.
Leafy greens: Serve the cucumber basil bean salad over a bed of leafy greens (a spring mix, lettuce, baby spinach/ kale, etc.) for a more traditional green salad.
Seasonings: Swapping out the spices and seasoning blends used in this white bean salad recipe is an effortless way to adapt the flavor:
- Sumac and/or Za’atar (give it a Middle Eastern flavor)
- Oregano (is a popular option for Greek white bean salad)
- Herbs de Provence
- Italian seasoning
- Cumin
- Thyme
- Aleppo pepper (for spice - works well with a lemon and sumac dressing)
- Red pepper flakes (for spice)
Red pepper flakes: To garnish the basil tomato pasta and add heat.
Pine nuts: Lightly toast the pine nuts in a pan to garnish the bean salad when serving. Pistachios would also work.
Capers: Add a briny, tangy flavor. Add a few tablespoon to you liking.
Other vegetables: This bean salad is simple enough that plenty of veggies will pair with the ingredients used, including:
- Roasted red pepper (diced)
- Marinated artichoke
- Roasted veggies (like zucchini, bell pepper, & eggplant combined)
- Avocado (to add a creamy element with heart-healthy fats)

How to Make White Bean Salad?

Preparing this Mediterranean white bean salad recipe is perfect for a last-minute addition to any meal or event.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!

Process shot showing the addition of Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad ingredients into a bowl.

Step 1: First, dice the onion, wash and chop the tomatoes, dice the cucumber, and drain and rinse the canned beans. Then, in a large bowl, combine all the prepared ingredients above with the remaining ingredients and toss to evenly coat all the ingredients. Voila, the white bean salad is ready to enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use dried beans?

Cook the beans yourself if preferred, though they need to be soaked overnight and then cooked until tender (which can take up to 2 hours), so it will add a lot of extra time to the recipe.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh ones?

The fresh herbs make a massive difference to the flavor of this Mediterranean white bean salad. However, yes, you can technically use dried herbs. Remember, 1 teaspoon of dried herbs equals a tablespoon of fresh.

Which beans work best for white bean salad?

This is entirely up to your preference. Butter beans are large and often softer than other varieties. Cannellini beans are easy to find and fairly tender, too. If you want a firmer bean, Navy beans work well. Even garbanzo beans will technically work, though provide a very different flavor.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Adjust the texture: How large or small you chop your veggies will determine the texture and mouthfeel of this white bean salad.
Tweak the ingredient ratio: You can add more or less of any ingredient to tweak the flavor to your liking.
Experiment with flavors: I’ve provided plenty of opportunities to adapt this recipe with optional add-ins and substitutions, so have fun experimenting.

Completed Easy Mediterranean White Bean Salad in a bowl.

Serving Recommendations

This Mediterranean white bean salad does it all. It’s an appetizer, side dish, light lunch, or main, ready to enjoy alone or alongside:

Crusty bread or flatbread
Easy garlic herb focaccia or garlic bread
Soup - like this vegan corn chowder
Simple pasta dishes like this tuscan white bean pasta, tortellini pasta salad, or garlic lemon pasta
Vegan burgers
Vegan shawarma and gyros
Add the cannellini bean salad to wraps like this easy vegan hummus wraps

You can also serve it as part of a mezze platter with dips and mezze dishes like hummus, falafel, etc.

Storage Instructions

Make ahead: This Mediterranean white bean salad tastes even better with some time for all the ingredients to marinate and meld, so feel free to make it a day in advance.

Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Give it a stir each time before enjoying it.

I don’t recommend freezing the salad as the fresh elements (like cucumber and tomato) will become mushy upon thawing.