Italian Bean Salad
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This cheery Italian bean salad is ultra-simple to make, with everyday ingredients and flavors that only improve with a few hours in the fridge. Creamy beans dreamily contrast crunchy red onion and celery, while an easy dressing renders every bite both tangy and sweet. It’s truly perfect for all your BBQ, potluck, and breezy summer dining needs.
When the weather starts to warm up, I crave extra-simple recipes that require little or no cooking but taste fresh and delicious. It’s wonderful to steal back a little extra time to relax or play with the kids outside!
Why You’ll Love This Italian Bean Salad
- Combines budget-friendly pantry staples with a few fresh ingredients: crisp red onion, crunchy celery, and vibrant flat-leaf parsley
- Easy to make in about 15 minutes—no cooking required
- Fresh, versatile Mediterranean flavor
- Tastes even better with time in the fridge, so it’s an ideal make-ahead side
The net result is a summery wonder that pairs perfectly with grilled meats like lemon chicken thighs, steak kabobs, or just your ordinary kid-friendly hot dogs and hamburgers.
Ingredient Notes
Play with the Herbs
Experiment by using different herbs in this salad, especially in the summer when garden pots and beds burst at the seams. Add a handful of chopped or slivered fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, or oregano to the bean and vegetable mix before adding the dressing. Any and all of these fit with the Italian and Mediterranean flavor profile of these veggies and beans.
Toss and Go
Assembling this salad is every bit as easy as you would hope. Drain and rinse all the beans, then toss in a large bowl together with the onion, celery, and parsley.
Whisk together the dressing and pour it on top. I do recommend using all of the dressing! It’s absolutely delicious and the beans will absorb some of the liquid as the salad rests a bit.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- To Make Ahead: Assemble completely, including the dressing, and store tightly-covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour prior to serving.
- To Store: Leftover bean salad will keep in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 3 days. By that point, the celery and onion will start to get a bit soggy. Glass mixing bowls with lids make storing salads like this super easy and convenient. Mix it, store it, and serve it all in one dish. No plastic wrap needed!
Make it Lunch-Worthy
Mix in a can of drained tuna or slices of seasoned, cooked chicken to transform this salad into a nourishing, protein-packed lunch. I also think it would be delicious mixed with lemon shrimp, which are easy to either bake or whip up in a skillet. Tuck portions into tightly-lidded glass meal prep containers and lunch is sorted for several days!
More Bean Salads
- White Bean Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Mexican Three Bean Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
Italian Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can Cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 medium red onion finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all three types of beans, red onion, celery, and parsley. Toss to combine.1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, 1 (15 ounce) can Cannellini beans, 1/4 medium red onion, 4 stalks celery, 1 cup fresh parsley
- In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, rosemary, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Pour this over the bean mixture. (I do recommend using it all.) Toss well to combine. Sample and season with more salt and pepper to taste.1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1-2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Serve right away, or store tightly-covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Stir very well and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
- Beans: Feel free to use just two or even one kind, or substitute cooked green beans for more of a traditional three-bean salad vibe.
- Parsley: My go-to is Italian flat-leaf parsley, but curly parsley also works well.
- Other Herbs: Experiment with using different herbs in this salad, especially in the summer when herb gardens burst at the seams. Add a handful of chopped or slivered fresh basil, rosemary, thyme, or oregano to the bean and vegetable mix before adding the dressing. Any and all of these fit with the Italian and Mediterranean flavors here.
- Sugar: If you prefer, substitute honey for the granulated sugar.
- To Store: Leftover bean salad will keep in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 3 days—by then the celery and onion will start to get a bit soggy. These glass mixing bowls with lids make this super easy and convenient. No plastic wrap needed!
- Recipe: Adapted from SimplyRecipes.
