Quick And Easy Tuscan Bean Salad Recipe For Summer

POSTED ON

June 12, 2023

This vibrant tuscan bean salad recipe is the perfect simple meal for nights when you don’t want to cook! Made with canned cannellini beans, kalamata olives, fresh feta, and crisp fruit and veggies, this salad will quickly become a new family favorite!

tuscan bean salad

Tuscan White Bean Salad Recipe

Summer is by far my favorite season for getting creative with cooking and developing new recipes in the kitchen, but I also have a pretty strict no stove/oven policy once temps are above  85 degrees, which means that summer in our house is full of A LOT of salads. My absolute favorite is this tuscan white bean salad made with juicy garden tomatoes, fresh peaches, and local feta.

I am a firm believer in the endless potential that salads can provide when it comes to depth of flavor and satisfaction, which is why I like to challenge myself to create new and exciting salads that truly leave my friends and family going back for seconds.

This Mediterranean bean salad is no different and was inspired by the foods I grew up eating in our Sicilian household. While other folks may think of mac and cheese or mashed potatoes when they envision their childhood comfort foods – I think of salty olives, juicy fruits and white beans dripping in olive oil – and gelato, because what is summer really without gelato?!

Mediterranean bean salad

Ingredients You Will Need To Make A Tuscan White Bean Summer Salad

The best part about this tuscan bean salad is that the ingredients are really simple and will most likely be easy to find at your local grocery store. Here is what you are going to need to get started:

  • Canned White Beans: I personally love cannellini beans for their smooth and creamy texture, but really any canned white bean would work!
  • Canned Kalamata Olives (Pitted): This Mediterranean bean salad wouldn’t be complete without the rich flavor of Kalamata Olives. I personally love to buy the canned varieties to avoid any plastic waste. Also remember that any olives you don’t use can be kept in the refrigerator in their brine!
  • Feta Cheese: I love the salty creamy flavor that feta cheese adds to this Mediterranean bean salad, but feel free to skip it if you want to make this salad dairy free!
  • Fresh Cherry Tomatoes: Nothing says summer quite like fresh tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes are my personal favorite to add to this salad for their slightly sweet and juicy flavor.
  • Cucumber: Cucumber adds the perfect crunch to this tuscan bean salad
  • Seasonal Summer Stone Fruit: You can really add any stone fruit to this tuscan white bean salad but a combination of fresh nectarines and plums balance the creamy white beans and salty olives/feta perfectly in my opinion.
  • Fresh Basil: No Mediterranean salad is complete without a little fresh basil.
  • Dressing: This tuscan bean salad speaks for itself with all the combined Mediterranean flavors so a simple dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt/pepper to taste is all you really need.
tuscan white bean salad
tuscan white bean salad

How To Make Tuscan Bean Salad

Making this tuscan white bean salad is as simple as salads can get, doesn’t require any cooking, and can come together in less than 15 minutes! 

Step One:

Make sure you have one can of white cannellini beans and one can of kalamata olives on hand in the pantry. Canned cannellini beans and kalamata olives are staple ingredients in my Mediterranean-inspired pantry, as they are shelf stable (thanks to canning) and are used in so many of our favorite meals all year round.

Step Two:

Drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans in a large colander and set to the side to allow to dry.

Step Three:

Drain the canned kalamata olives from their brine, making sure to save enough brine to cover any remaining olives that you wish to save for another day. Once opened, you can store opened olives in their brine in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks. If your kalamata olives have not been pitted, you can choose to leave them whole or remove the pits.

Step Four:

Using a peeler, peel a large cucumber, saving the outer strips for your salad. Once you reach the inner flesh and seeds of the cucumber, slice the remaining cucumber into rounds and set to the side. This will help you reduce any unnecessary food waste and enjoy all the nutritional benefits of the cucumber, while providing different textures to your salad.

Step Five:

Slice cherry tomatoes, plums and nectarines into bite size pieces. Additionally, take a small bunch of fresh basil and loosely chop into small pieces.

Step Six:

Combine all vegetables in a large salad bowl and top with the drained canned cannellini beans, pitted kalamata olives and chopped basil. Toss well until all the fruit, veggies, beans, basil and olives have been well mixed.

Step Seven:

Add a sprinkle of feta cheese to the salad and top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Step Eight:

Season with sea salt to taste and serve alone or with your favorite grilled fish or meat.

Mediterannean Bean Salad Recipe
simple summer tuscan white bean salad

Tips For Making The Best Mediterranean White Bean Salad

While this Mediterranean White Bean Salad is virtually fool proof to make, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want it to come out perfectly every time!

  1. Drain The Canned White Beans Well: We don’t want any soggy beans in this salad so always make sure to drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans well, and then allow them to dry before adding to your salad.
  2. Dress The Salad Immediately Before Serving: If you are making this Mediterranean white bean salad recipe ahead of time, make sure to save the dressing for right before serving. This will help keep the salad crisp and avoid a soggy salad bottom.
  3. Choose Fresh/Just Ripe Seasonal Fruit And Veggies: For the fresh fruit and veggies in this Mediterranean white bean salad recipe make sure to pick ingredients that are just ripe and not too soft.
  4. Add Feta Right Before Serving: Feta will soak up the flavors in the white bean salad so it is best to sprinkle it into your salad right before serving.
Mediterannean White Bean Salad Recipe
Mediterannean White Bean Salad Recipe
Mediterannean White Bean Salad Recipe
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Mediterannean White Bean Salad Recipe

Mediterranean White Bean Salad Recipe

  • Author: Megan Faletra
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This vibrant Mediterranean White Bean Salad Recipe is the perfect simple meal for nights when you don’t want to cook! Made with canned cannellini beans, kalamata olives, fresh feta, and crisp fruit and veggies, this salad will quickly become a new family favorite!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups canned cannellini beans
  • 1 cup canned kalamata olives (pitted)
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 1 pint fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 2 nectarines, sliced
  • 46 small European plums, sliced
  • 1 small bunch fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Pour cannellini beans into a colander, rinse well and allow to dry.
  • Next, wash and dry all produce well to prep for making your salad.
  • Slice the cherry tomatoes, nectarines, and plums into bite size pieces and set to the side.
  • Using a peeler, shave the cucumber into long ribbons. Once you reach the inner seeds chop the remaining cucumber into rounds. This method will allow you to enjoy the entire cucumber with little food waste.
  • Next drain the canned kalamata olives from their brine and remove pits if necessary.
  • Place the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, nectarines, plums, and kalamata olives into a large salad bowl.
  • Pour the rinsed cannellini beans into the salad bowl and mix ingredients together until well mixed.
  • Loosely chop 1 small bunch of fresh basil and sprinkle over the salad.
  • Next, sprinkle feta chunks into the salad and add a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
  • Add sea salt to taste and serve for the perfect summer lunch or dinner, or as a delicious side dish to your favorite grilled chicken or fish.

 

 


Notes

If making this salad ahead of time, make the dressing and store in a small container to dress your salad right before serving. I would also recommend adding the feta cheese to the salad right before serving to reduce any sogginess.

Keywords: white bean salad, white bean salad recipe, mediterranean white bean salad

Megan Faletra, MS, MPH, RDN

Megan Faletra, MS, MPH, RDN

Megan is a maternal-child health dietitian and mom of two. With nearly a decade of experience working in maternal-child nutrition both domestically and abroad, Megan is passionate about supporting mothers and their little ones through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

Megan especially loves helping to nourish families with simple, delicious recipes that both children and adults will enjoy. All of the recipes at MADRE are gluten free, and focused on celebrating food culture, seasonality, and supporting the nutritional needs of growing children, mothers, and families.

Megan holds a MS in Nutrition and MPH in Global Health from Tufts University, and received her dietetic license (RDN) from Brigham and Women's Hospital. She has advanced training in pediatric nutrition and baby led weaning, and is currently working towards becoming a certified lactation consultant.

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Mom of two girls under two, and registered dietitian specializing in prenatal, postpartum, and infant wellness. My passion for supporting moms and babies began more than a decade ago, but nothing made me more committed to helping moms and babies thrive than going through my own pregnancy and postpartum journey.

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