This lemon garlic white bean salad recipe is bursting with fresh, bold flavors. Ready in just 5 minutes, this easy and refreshing bean salad is a great make-ahead dish for your next party or potluck!
Why You’ll Love This White Bean Salad Recipe
If you’re looking for a simple, satisfying, and scrumptious side dish, look no further than this white bean salad. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- So Easy: You don’t need any fancy equipment or skills, just toss everything together and let it marinate!
- Budget-Friendly: Beans are one of the most affordable, filling and satisfying ingredients. You won’t have to reach deep in your wallet for this salad!
- Flavorful: You may only need a few ingredients, but each one packs a flavorful punch! With lots of fresh garlic, lemon zest, refreshing parsley and a handful of seasonings, each bite is better than the last.
- Make-Ahead: This white bean salad recipe is perfect for meal prep and potlucks. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and also travels wonderfully.
Looking for more refreshing make-ahead salads? Try our chickpea salad or cucumber tomato salad!
What You’ll Need
To make this bean salad recipe, you’ll need some basic ingredients. Nothing fancy or complicated! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Beans: We love great northern beans (also known as cannellini beans). Check the notes section below for other kinds of beans you can use!
- Olive Oil: A good, fruity extra virgin olive oil will add great flavor.
- Seasonings: Fresh minced garlic, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
How to Make White Bean Salad
Making this white bean salad is as easy as 1-2-3. Seriously, you can whip it up in no time, with minimal effort and mess. Scroll down to the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- Combine: Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Rest: To allow the flavors to meld together, chill the bean salad for at least 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Serve: Serve with your choice of garnishes and enjoy!
Cooks’ Tips
This white bean salad is pretty foolproof, but we have some tips and tricks to make it a hit every time.
- Olive Oil: Using a good quality olive oil will make a huge difference in the overall flavor of the salad. We like to use extra virgin olive oil, which has a light and fruity taste.
- Herbs: Use fresh herbs and garlic only. They add a ton of flavor and aroma to the salad. Honestly for us, the more garlic the better in this bean salad!
- Garlic: If you aren’t a garlic fan, you can swap the garlic for a finely sliced red onion instead.
- Beans: You can use any variety of white beans you like; such as great northern beans, navy beans, cannellini beans or white kidney beans. While different in texture, Garbanzo beans are another tasty option.
- Temperature: You can serve this bean salad recipe at room temperature or chilled. It tastes great either way, but we typically prefer it at room temperature as you can taste the flavors a little better.
What to Serve With White Bean Salad
Whether you’re hosting a party, having a picnic, or just looking for a light lunch, this white bean salad goes with just about everything! Here are some ideas:
- Chicken: It goes perfectly with our grilled chicken breasts and lemon pepper chicken!
- Pork: A batch of these baked pork chops are one of our favorite dinners! If you are throwing a party, this easy crockpot pulled pork is a great pairing too.
- Steak: For a light dinner, a cast iron steak and this bean salad is wonderful.
How to Store Leftovers
This is an important part of any recipe, as it helps you save time and money, and reduce food waste. Plus, this white bean salad tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have more time to mingle and develop!
- Fridge: Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can add more lemon juice or olive oil to freshen it up before serving.
- Freeze: We do not recommend freezing this white bean salad since it will negatively affect the flavor and texture of the salad.
More Easy White Bean Recipes
- Instant Pot White Bean Chicken Chili
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
- Salsa Verde Chicken Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Crockpot White Mexican Chicken Chili
- Arugula Orzo Salad
White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings:
- 1 to 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
- chopped fresh parsley
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Using a medium size bowl, add the beans, olive oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, lemon zest and juice. Toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let rest for 10 minutes, or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve for up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, garnish with desired toppings.
