Creamy cannellini beans and tender green beans are tossed in a zippy lemon dressing with plenty of fresh herbs in this fresh and easy side salad.
This Hearty Side Salad Is the Epitome of Summer Into Fall Dining
This fiber-packed side salad is delicious enough to earn a spot at a potluck, but flexible enough to help clean out the fridge at the end of the week.
It combines tender green beans, creamy cannellini beans, juicy cherry tomatoes, and crunchy celery with handfuls of fresh mint and parsley and is coated in a bright lemon dressing that’s mixed together in the same bowl I serve the salad from.
I often make this cannellini and green bean salad exactly as written when I need a fresh but filling vegetarian side dish, but it’s also a great foundation for whatever extras are hanging around in my fridge. Leftover quinoa? Toss it in. Grilled chicken from last night’s dinner? Perfect. Crumbled feta? Absolutely.
It’s fresh, colorful, endlessly adaptable, and one of those recipes that tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Soaking the red onion in lemon juice removes its bite. I love the flavor and texture that thinly sliced red onion gives this salad, but its pungent bite can overwhelm the delicate herbs and creamy white beans. To fix this, I toss the onion with lemon juice and let it sit for about 10 minutes to tame its flavor.
Blanching green beans preserves their color and texture. Instead of roasting or sautéing the green beans, I prefer blanching them for just 2 minutes in boiling water. This turns them bright green and keeps their texture nice and snappy.
If your salad tastes bland, it just needs more salt. We’re seasoning more than 2 pounds of raw veggies and herbs, so to make the flavors in this salad pop it needs to be well salted.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Green beans — Fresh green beans are a must! Trim their ends and cut longer beans in half to make them easier to eat.
- White beans — You can use any creamy white bean, such as navy beans, Great Northern beans, or cannellini beans. My personal favorite are creamy, lightly nutty cannellini beans and I try to make them from scratch whenever possible. Otherwise two cans of drained and rinsed beans will do the trick!
- Veggies — For contrasting flavors and textures, I loaded up my salad with thinly sliced celery and sweet cherry tomatoes. Roasted cherry tomatoes are a great option, too.
- Fresh herbs — I used fresh parsley and mint, but you can mix and match the herbs however you like. I don’t recommend using dried herbs in this salad because they’re much more potent and can overpower the beans.
- Lemon dressing — Freshly squeezed lemon juice and quality olive oil is jazzed up with red onion and a pinch of paprika.
How to Make This Cannellini and Green Bean Salad
- Lightly pickle the red onion. Adding the red onion to the lemon juice mellows its pungent bite.
- Finish the dressing. To the onion mixture, whisk in the olive oil and seasonings.
Heidi’s Tip: I prep the dressing in the same bowl I’ll be assembling and serving the salad from. The fewer dirty dishes, the better!
- Blanch the green beans. The key thing to remember is to salt the water very generously so the green beans are nicely seasoned. This keeps your mixed bean salad from tasting bland.
Heidi’s Tip: Rinsing the green beans under cold tap water prevents them from over-cooking from their own carry-over heat.
- Toss everything together. To the big bowl with the dressing, add all of the salad fixings and toss to combine.
- Rest before serving. Just 30 minutes at room temp gives the beans and veggies time to soak up some of the lemon dressing, making for a more flavorful side salad.
Optional Add-Ins
- Add grilled chicken or salmon to transform this into a main dish salad
- Crumble feta or goat cheese over top for a creamy element
- Add lentils, chickpeas, or another favorite bean for bulk
- Add chopped cucumber for freshness
- Add the zest of 1 lemon for a more citrus-forward flavor
- Toss with cooked quinoa for plant-based protein and extra fiber
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Cannellini Bean Salad with Green Beans
Ingredients
Lemon Dressing
- ½ red onion , thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice , about 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 7 ounces fresh green beans , trimmed and halved
- 2 14- ounce cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 celery stalks , thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Soften the red onion and build the dressing. In a large bowl, combine the ½ red onion with ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Let sit for 10 minutes — this takes the sharp bite off the raw onion while it lightly pickles. Whisk in ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil,1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until the dressing is emulsified and smooth.
- Blanch the green beans. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add 7 ounces fresh green beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green and just tender but still with a little snap. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry and set aside.
- Assemble the salad. Add the 2 14- ounce cans cannellini beans to the dressing and toss to coat. Fold in the blanched green beans, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 2 celery stalks, ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and ¼ cup chopped fresh mint. Toss gently until everything is evenly combined.
- Let it rest. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. If making ahead, refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Taste, adjust, and serve. Before serving, taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed. Serve at room temperature for the best flavor. If the salad has been refrigerated, pull it out 20 to 30 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Notes
Nutrition
Mains to Make This a Meal
More Bean Salads You’ll Love
- Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Tangy Three Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Shrimp and Cannellini Bean Salad
- Pesto Shrimp and White Bean Salad
- Italian Chickpea Salad
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