By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 16, 2023

A simple yet refreshing white bean salad that's healthy and full of flavor. This white bean salad is perfect for pot lucks, BBQ's, and dinner parties.

It only takes five minutes to make this white bean salad recipe but it can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

Looking for more side dishes? You'll want to make this Gluten Free Cornbread. My gluten free pasta salad is also a reader favorite.

White Bean Salad Recipe

There are only five ingredients in this white bean salad recipe and this recipe only takes about five minutes to mix up. You can double or triple this recipe if you're feeding a crowd or doing food prep.

This white bean salad is a perfect year-round side dish but we typically make it more often in the spring and summer when we have fresh cilantro in our garden.

Ingredients in White Bean Salad

• White Beans - You can use any white bean. See the list of beans below.
• Chopped Cilantro - fresh cilantro works best for flavor.
• Chopped red onion - if you don't have red onion, you can use white onion.
• Fresh lemon juice - bottled works too.
• White Vinegar - you can use rice vinegar or white wine vinegar if you don't have white vinegar.
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Feel free to add in any additional favorites like cherry tomatoes, olive oil, or pickled vegetables.

Beans to use in White Bean Salad

• Canned Cannellini Beans (White Kidney Beans)
• Canned Great Northern Beans
• Canned Lima Beans
• Canned Navy Beans
• Canned Cranberry Beans

Some of these beans have a buttery flavor and some have a nutty flavor, but they all work with the combination of flavors.

Can I use dried beans?

The reason this white bean salad is so quick to make is because it uses canned beans, but you can certainly start with dried beans. Soak the beans overnight, and then cook them using your favorite method. Here's a recipe we use for cooking beans in an instant pot.

Use 2 ¼ cups of cooked and drained beans in place of the 28 oz. of canned beans.

Meals to Serve White Bean Salad With

Beef Short Ribs

Hawaiian Chicken

If you love cold salads, you might like this Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint.

We also highly recommend getting some delicious gluten-free salad dressings from Yo Mama's. So good!

Did you make this white bean salad? Please leave a comment below letting me know what you thought.

Continue to Content

Yield: 8 servings

White Bean Salad

Print

A simple yet refreshing white bean salad that's healthy and full of flavor. This white bean salad is perfect for pot lucks, BBQ's, and dinner parties. It only takes five minutes to make this white bean salad recipe but it can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cans (14.5 oz.) white beans, drained but not rinsed
• ¼ cup red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Serve cold.
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

• If you're cooking beans from dried beans, replace the 28 oz. of drained canned beans with 2 ¼ cups of your fresh cooked and drained beans.
• You can use red or white onion in this recipe.
• Fresh cilantro works best in this recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

½ cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 66Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 257mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.