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    Home » Vegan Salads

    Published: Sep, 2022. Updated: Mar, 2023 by Iryna Bychkiv | This post may contain affiliate links. Read more here

    Italian Cannellini Bean Salad With Tomatoes And Olives

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    Jump to Recipe
    Bowl of Cannellini Bean Salad with olives and cashew cheese
    Close-up of cannellini bean salad
    Overhead shot of Cannellini Bean Salad.

    This Italian Cannellini Bean Salad is healthy, flavorful, and satisfying. Made with white beans, juicy roasted bell peppers, olives, marinated red onions, and dollops of vegan cashew cheese, it's the perfect cold side dish or easy lunch. A good option for picnics, potluck, or work lunches too.

    Overhead shot of Cannellini Bean Salad

    This simple Italian white bean salad contains all the traditional Mediterranean flavors, including the salty-spicy notes of the olives and the smoothness of the olive oil.

    In fact, this salad may be one the best vegan Cannellini Beans recipes. You'll see why.

    It also features plump, tender cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans. They are a kind of beans that have a neutral taste and can be mixed with any ingredients and dressings.

    When paired with juicy bell peppers and cherry tomatoes, this recipe makes for a filling, protein-loaded Italian salad that is full of flavor.

    Jump to:
    • Here's Why This Italian Cannellini Bean Salad Works
    • Ingredients
    • 🔪  Instructions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • ♨️ Storing and Meal Prep Tips
    • Making Ahead Of Time
    • Mediterranean White Bean Salad Variations
    • 🥗 Similar Recipes
    • Recipe

    The bell peppers are roasted in the oven, making them extra juicy and flavorful. The red onion is marinated in lemon juice, which helps take away some of the bitter tartness in the onion.

    Here's Why This Italian Cannellini Bean Salad Works

    • easy. Despite having many ingredients, this Italian Cannellini Bean Salad is really easy to make. In fact, it's ready in just 30 minutes. Canned beans only need a good rinse and while bell peppers are being roasted, you can quickly chop the tomatoes as well as marinate the onions. In fact, you can make this vegan Italian white bean salad even faster if you use canned roasted bell peppers.
    • nutrients in every bite. Cannellini beans are a wonderful and healthy addition to any diet. Just 1 cup of cooked white beans provides 17 grams of protein and 11 grams of dietary Fiber which is might help with digestion. In addition, white beans are packed with many micronutrients like Folate, Magnesium and Vitamin B. Let's not forget about other veggies too...bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion all make for a very nutritious salad.
    • very customizable. Italian Cannellini Bean Salad can be customized in a variety of ways. In fact, it's a great salad for cleaning-out-the fridge and using the ingredients that you even forgot you had. Yes, we've all been there:)

    Ingredients

    Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.

    Ingredients in bowls on a counter
    Italian Cannellini Bean Salad ingredients: canned Cannellini beans, bell peppers, red onion, grape tomatoes, garlic, Kalamata olive, extra virgin olive oil, Italian herbs, soft vegan cashew cheese, lemon juice (not pictured), fresh cilantro, salt, pepper.

    Ingredient Notes

    • bell peppers – two of any color. Green bell peppers are the least ripe and can be slightly bitter, while red are the ripest and sweetest. Using several different colors will give you different flavors and more visual interest.
    • Italian herbs - you can replace with dried oregano or thyme.
    • lemon juice - make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Alternatively, you can use red wine vinegar.
    • cannellini beans. I used canned beans, that's why the Italian White Bean Salad recipe comes together fast and easy. You can of course make it with dried beans, but you'll have to soak them the night before and then cook. Also, if you don't have Cannellini Beans, you can use Great Northern beans or Navy beans.
    • Kalamata olives – look for pitted olives, it will save you some time. I love buying a big jar of olives from Costco.
    • cashew cheese – in this Italian white bean salad with tomatoes and olives I loved using Treeline Soft French-Style Cashew Cheese, which almost tastes like a goat cheese cheese. It's really delicious in this Italian bean salad. This Cashew cheese is sold in most grocery stores in the vegan aisle. If you are vegetarian, you can use regular goat cheese, Feta cheese or any other soft cheese.

    🔪  Instructions

    1. Roast the peppers for the Italian Cannellini Bean Salad.

    Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the bell peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, then place the peppers in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 5 minutes.

    Then, peel the skin off the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and slice each half into ½ inch strips. Add the strips to a large bowl.

    1. Marinate the red onion

    In a small bowl, combine sliced red onion, lemon juice, Italian herbs and salt. Leave for 5 minutes.

    1. Assemble the Italian white beans salad

    To the bowl with roasted bell pepper, add the red onion, drained and rinsed Cannellini beans, halved Kalamata olives, halved grape tomatoes, dollops of cheese, garlic pushed through garlic press and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the olive oil and gently mix to combine. Adjust the salt and serve.

    Close-up of cannellini bean salad

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you eat canned Cannellini Beans cold?

    Absolutely. Cannellini Beans out of the can taste wonderful in cold salads. Don't forget to drain and rinse them first.

    What dressing goes well with Cannellini beans?

    No need for fancy dressings and vinaigrettes. A good quality extra virgin olive oil is all this Cannellini bean salad needs.

    What can I use in place of Cannellini beans?

    Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans can replace Cannellini beans. Alternatively, you can even use Pinto beans or Butter beans.

    Can I make White Bean Salad with dried beans?

    Yes. You will have to use ½ c of dried Cannellini beans. Soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. The next day rinse the beans and cook in 4-5 cups of water for about an hour or until beans are tender.

    ♨️ Storing and Meal Prep Tips

    I recommend consuming this Italian Cannellini Bean Salad on the same day.

    However if you're doing a meal prep, I suggest layering the ingredients in jars in the following way:

    • olive oil goes on the bottom of the jar, followed by white beans, roasted bell peppers, onion, olives, cheese and tomatoes.
    • I also recommend not to slice the tomatoes for the meal prep, because they tend to release lots of liquid.

    Also, if you don't do the meal prep, but have the leftovers of the White Bean Salad, store them in the airtight containers in a refrigerator for about 2-3 days.

    Bowl of Cannellini Bean Salad with olives and cashew cheese

    Making Ahead Of Time

    Making this Italian Cannellini Bean Salad for a potluck or picnic? Here're some tips on how to prepare a part of this simple salad ahead of time:

    1. roast the red bell peppers, cut them and then store in a fridge.
    2. marinate the onion and store it also in a fridge.

    Then, whenever it's time to serve the salad, combine the already prepped peppers and onion, add the rest of the ingredients plus oil, mix and serve. Fast and easy.

    Mediterranean White Bean Salad Variations

    Here're some ways you can take this white bean salad with tomatoes and olives to another level.

    • fresh herbs. Spruce up the salad with the addition of fresh parsley, mint, basil or chives, green onions. You can garnish the Cannellini beans salad with these herbs in addition or as a substitute to cilantro;
    • vegetables. Want to add more texture to this Cannellini bean salad? Add chopped cucumbers, dried apricots, arugula or sautéed mushrooms. Check out your fridge to see if there are any ingredients that will taste good in this salad;
    • condiments. You can also whisk in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. It has a strong and a bit spicy flavor and it tastes really delicious in cold white bean salads.

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    If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Recipe

    Cannellini Bean Salad

    Italian Cannellini Bean Salad With Tomatoes And Olives

    This Italian Cannellini Bean Salad is healthy, flavorful and satisfying. Made with white beans, juicy roasted bell peppers, olives, marinated red onions, and dollops of vegan cashew cheese, it's the perfect cold side dish or easy lunch.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 382kcal
    Author: Iryna Bychkiv
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 bell peppers any color
    • ½ c red onion thinly sliced
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
    • 1 (15-ounce can) cannellini beans drained and rinsed. Great Northern beans or Navy beans would also work
    • ¼ c Kalamata olives pitted and halved
    • 15 grape tomatoes halved
    • 3 tablespoon vegan Cashew Cheese I used Treeline Soft French Cashew Cheese
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Roast the peppers for the Italian Cannellini Bean Salad

    • Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place bell peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, place peppers in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 5 minutes.
    • Peel the skin off the peppers. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and slice each half into ½ inch strips. Place peppers in a large mixing bowl.

    Marinate the red onion

    • In a small bowl combine red onion, lemon juice, Italian herbs and salt. Leave for 5 minutes.

    Assemble the white salad

    • To the bowl with roasted bell pepper, add the red onion, drained and rinsed Cannellini beans, halved Kalamata olives, halved grape tomatoes, dollops of cheese, garlic pushed through garlic press and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the olive oil and gently mix to combine. Adjust the salt and serve.

    Notes

    Cashew cheese. I love using Treeline Soft French-Style Cashew Cheese, which almost tastes like a goat cheese cheese. It's really delicious in this salad. This Cashew cheese is sold in most grocery stores in the vegan aisle. If you are vegetarian, you can use regular goat cheese, Feta cheese or any other soft cheese.
    Using dried beans. You will have to use ½ c of dried Cannellini beans. Soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. The next day rinse the beans and cook in 4-5 cups of water for about an hour or until beans are tender.
    Storing and Meal Prep. I recommend consuming this Italian Cannellini Bean Salad on the same day.
    However if you're doing a meal prep, I suggest layering the ingredients in jars in the following way:
    • olive oil goes on the bottom of the jar, followed by white beans, roasted bell peppers, onion, olives, cheese and tomatoes.
    • I also recommend not to slice the tomatoes for the meal prep, because they tend to release lots of liquid.
    Also, if you don't do the meal prep, but have the leftovers of the White Bean Salad, store them in the airtight containers in a refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
    Making ahead of time. Making this Italian Cannellini Bean Salad for a potluck or picnic? Here're some tips on how to prepare a part of this simple salad ahead of time:
    1. roast the red bell peppers, cut them and then store in a fridge.
    2. marinate the onion and store it also in a fridge.
    Then, whenever it's time to serve the Italian white bean salad, combine the already prepped peppers and onion, add the rest of the ingredients plus oil, mix and serve. Fast and easy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.4g | Protein: 10.9g | Fat: 23.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.4g | Sodium: 834mg | Potassium: 1197mg | Fiber: 9.6g | Sugar: 16.8g | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Lavender.And.Macarons or tag #lavenderandmacarons!
    Pin image for White bean salad
    Iryna Bychkiv
    Website

    Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
    Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.

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    Comments

    1. Shelley says

      August 07, 2022 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious salad! I cheated a bit as I had a jar of fire roasted peppers in the pantry so saved myself a little time as I detest peeling the roasted peppers. So this salad took literally took only 6 or so minutes, start to finish. This was so quick and so delicious that I can easily see it becoming my favourite lunch. While I am vegan, hubby is vegetarian and the majority of friends and family are omni’s. Even the omni’s were raving over this salad. I had made it for a vegan bbq and served it along side moving mountains brand hot dogs, beyond burgers, and vegan mushroom ‘ribs” using sliced king oyster mushrooms and our favourite homemade bbq sauce with a little wasabi added to spice it up. We served this salad, a doctored up quinoa tabouli (I add marinated artichoke hearts to it as well as the tomatoes, cucumbers, loads of mint and parsley and a little lemon juice and olive oil), which I could literally eat every day, some bbq’d corn on the cob and some garlicky roasted baby mushrooms with a crunchy panko crumble on top. Served with beer, wine and fresh strawberry mint lemonade. It was a success and even the omni’s who usually shy away from food with no meat or dairy enjoyed everything, but each and every person asked me for your salad recipe! 😉 So I call that a huge success! And your recipe has gone into my permanent recipe file to make as often as I can.

      I am an American living in Scotland and went vegan over here. The not thing our bbq seems to be missing, which is always at a New England bbq is homemade baked beans. Have you made any vegan ones? I have tried using vegan facon but that does not seem to work well. I would be so grateful if you were able to come up with something similar to Boston baked beans with the smokiness, the creaminess and sweet but savoury goodness, if this is something you could do.

      Thanks so much for the yummy recipes! 💚

      Reply
      • Iryna says

        August 11, 2022 at 5:10 pm

        Wow, Shelley, you BBQ spread sounds amazing. I'm totally craving mushroom "ribs" and tabbouli with artichokes.
        I'm very happy that you and your guests liked my bean salad recipe and that it was easy for you to make it. Thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating!
        I haven't made baked beans yet. However we're moving into the fall comfort food season so I think I'm might add this recipe to my website soon.

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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