A fresh, flavorful salad made with creamy white beans, juicy tomato, crisp cucumber, tender baby spinach, and a super easy homemade dressing. This takes just a few minutes and works as a healthy, filling side or a light meal.

White bowl holding white bean cucumber tomato salad.

We’ve always loved the simplicity of cucumber tomato salad. It goes with everything, is quick and easy to make, and can be a nice change of pace from lettuce and greens.

Recently, though, I was planning our Sunday night dinner and wanted something with just a little more oomph. We pretty much always have white beans in the pantry, and I knew their creamy texture and mild flavor would be perfect to make this salad more filling without stealing the show.

You’ll love this easy white bean tomato cucumber salad because it’s a simple, interesting variation on a classic. And it’s crazy quick and easy to make!

Ingredients, tips, and notes

  • Cannellini beans – the most common type of white kidney beans, these have a fantastic creamy texture that makes them a great and versatile pantry staple. (We love them in dip and soup.) Quality substitutes include great northern or navy beans.
  • Cucumber – use a long, thin English cucumber or the smaller Persian variety. These have relatively few seeds and are not too watery, which makes for a more crisp texture in the salad.
  • Tomatoes – any kind. Remove the seeds if you like a less watery texture. Using a small grapefruit spoon to scoop them out makes it quick and painless.
  • Red onion – adds a layer of crunch and tang.
  • Baby spinach – love this for some extra nutrition and texture.
  • Fresh herbs – this little touch adds so much! I highly recommend dill if you have it, and a sprinkling of fresh basil, parsley, or oregano is lovely.
  • For the dressing – olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, making this couldn’t be simpler. It’s literally a chop and toss situation.

Shake or whisk the dressing together in a small jar or liquid measuring cup. This is a really light but flavorful vinaigrette. It adds the perfect punch without weighing down the salad at all.

Optional add-ins

This white bean tomato cucumber salad is delicious as-is, but if you want to add even more flavor — or clean out the fridge — there are a lot of tasty options.

Consider mixing in a bit of feta or mozzarella cheese, olives, chopped bell pepper or pepperoncinis, cubed avocado, or cubed stale bread to make it like a simple panzanella. Mix in some canned tuna for added protein, or serve alongside grilled chicken for a wonderfully easy and healthy meal.

Close-up of white bean salad in a small white serving bowl.

More quick and easy salads

All of these are perfect for rounding out a dinner menu, bringing to a potluck, or whipping up for a quick and easy lunch.

Can’t get enough white beans? We love them, too! Try these delicious braised white beans or a light and tasty lemon orzo white bean soup next.

Do you love cucumber tomato salad? If you try this easy white bean version, let me know in the comments below!

You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and TWITTER for more great recipes and ideas!

White bowl holding white bean cucumber tomato salad.
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4.88 from 8 votes

White Bean Tomato Cucumber Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
A fresh, flavorful salad made with creamy white beans, juicy tomato, crisp cucumber, tender baby spinach, and a super easy homemade dressing.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 English cucumber sliced and halved
  • 1-2 cups small tomatoes quartered
  • 1/4 red onion chopped or thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • about 15 cranks fresh-ground black pepper
  • 2-3 handfuls fresh baby spinach coarsely chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs parsley, basil, oregano, dill, etc.

Instructions

  • Combine beans, cucumber, tomato, and onion in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
  • In a small bowl or jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake well to combine, then drizzle about half the dressing over bean mixture and toss.
  • Gently stir in baby spinach and fresh herbs, add more dressing to taste, and serve.

Notes

  • Yield: this serves six as a light side dish. I’d say it serves about 3 for a light meal — depending on whether you add anything and how hungry your crowd is, of course.
  • Variations: try adding in feta, mozzarella, olives, chopped bell pepper, pepperoncinis, cubed avocado, or cubed stale bread (to make this like a panzanella). Add tuna or grilled chicken for more protein.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 208 kcal, Carbohydrates: 19 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 12 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Sodium: 210 mg, Potassium: 551 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 1319 IU, Vitamin C: 10 mg, Calcium: 79 mg, Iron: 3 mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then snap a quick picture and tag @nourishandfete on Instagram so I can see it!
Author: Monica Lensink
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: white bean cucumber tomato salad