My Tuscan Bean Salad is a fresh, mediterranean-inspired dish packed with white cannellini beans, red peppers, and fresh herbs in a zesty lemon juice dressing. This healthy salad is simple, flavorful, and perfect as a great side dish or light meal. Serve at room temperature for the best part—perfectly melded flavors!
Tuscan Bean Salad is a mediterranean bean salad made with white cannellini beans, red peppers, fresh herbs, and a tangy lemon juice dressing. It's a healthy salad that highlights simple ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, capers, and sea salt, creating a dish full of bold, fresh flavors.
This delicious salad is often served at room temperature, making it a great side dish or a satisfying plant-based protein meal. With its mix of mediterranean flavors, it's a new family favorite for easy meals, meal prep, or potlucks!
Looking for more? Try my Insalata Mista, Fennel Citrus Salad, Burrata Peach Salad, and Panzanella Toscana.
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🌟 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Bursting with Mediterranean flavors – This Tuscan Bean Salad is packed with bright lemon juice, fresh herbs, and a hint of caper brine for that perfect tangy kick. It’s like a vacation to Italy in every bite!
- Ridiculously easy to make – No cooking, no stress! Just toss everything in a large bowl, mix, and enjoy. It’s the ultimate simple salad for busy days, lazy days, or “I just don’t feel like cooking” days.
- Healthy, hearty, and versatile – Loaded with plant-based protein from white cannellini beans, it keeps you full and happy. Enjoy it as a great side dish, a light main meal, or straight from the airtight container as a snack (no judgment!).
🥘 Ingredients
- White Cannellini Beans – Creamy and protein-packed, these beans are the heart of this Tuscan bean salad, adding a satisfying bite while soaking up the zesty dressing.
- Red Bell Pepper – Sweet, crisp, and colorful, red peppers bring a fresh crunch that balances the richness of the beans and the brightness of the dressing.
- Red Onion – Finely diced for a subtle sharpness, red onion adds a mild bite without overpowering the salad, making every spoonful more flavorful.
- Fresh Herbs – A mix of parsley and dill gives this salad a vibrant, herbaceous kick, enhancing the mediterranean flavors with freshness in every bite.
- Lemon Juice – The star of the dressing, lemon juice adds a bright, tangy freshness that ties all the ingredients together and keeps the salad light and refreshing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A pantry staple that adds richness and depth, bringing out the flavors of the beans, herbs, and capers for the perfect dressing.
- Capers – Small but mighty, capers add a briny, salty punch that enhances the mediterranean flavors and gives this salad its signature Tuscan taste.
- Caper Brine – The secret ingredient for extra depth, caper brine adds a tangy, savory kick to the dressing, making every bite pop with flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes – A hint of spice gives this salad just the right amount of warmth, elevating the flavors without overpowering the fresh ingredients.
- Sea Salt – A simple seasoning that enhances every component, ensuring a perfectly balanced salad with just the right amount of saltiness.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the dressing – In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, capers, caper brine, red pepper flakes, thyme, and sea salt until well combined. Let the garlic sit in the lemon juice for 5-10 minutes to mellow its sharpness.
Rinse and drain the beans – Using a strainer or colander, rinse the white cannellini beans under cold water to remove excess starch. Shake off any excess water to keep the salad light and fresh.
Chop the vegetables and herbs – Dice the red bell pepper into small, bite-sized pieces, finely chop the red onion, and mince the fresh herbs to distribute their flavors evenly throughout the salad.
Assemble the salad – In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained beans, red bell pepper, red onion, parsley, and dill, ensuring an even mix of ingredients.
Dress the salad – Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients, gently tossing everything together to ensure the beans and vegetables are evenly coated with the flavorful dressing.
Let the flavors meld – For the best taste, allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. This helps the beans absorb the bright mediterranean flavors.
Serve and enjoy – Enjoy this delicious salad on its own, as a great side dish, or with toasted bread for an easy, satisfying meal. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
👩🏼🍳 Chef's Tips
- Let the flavors meld – For the best taste, let the salad sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the white cannellini beans to absorb the bright lemon juice dressing, making every bite even more flavorful.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Switch up the beans – If you don’t have white cannellini beans, try navy beans, great northern beans, or even butter beans for a similar creamy texture.
- Add more mediterranean flavors – Toss in sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, or artichoke hearts for extra depth and a briny kick.
- Make it a main dish – Turn this salad into a hearty meal by adding feta cheese for creaminess, fresh arugula for a peppery bite, or grilled chicken for extra protein.
- Use a different acid – Swap lemon juice for red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar for a slightly different tang while still keeping the bright, mediterranean flavors.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
- As a side salad – Serve alongside grilled chicken, fish, or roasted vegetables for a light and refreshing complement to any meal.
- With crusty bread – Enjoy with toasted whole grain or sourdough bread to soak up the delicious lemon juice dressing and mediterranean flavors.
- Over fresh greens – Toss with fresh arugula or peppery arugula to add extra texture and make it a more vibrant, hearty salad.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes! This salad actually tastes even better after a few hours as the flavors meld together. Prepare it up to a day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before serving to bring out the best mediterranean flavors.
🥣 Storage & Reheating
Store leftover Tuscan Bean Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. The flavors will continue to develop, making it even more delicious over time.
Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to enhance the mediterranean flavors.
If needed, give it a quick toss and add a splash of lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil to refresh the dressing.
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🥗 Pairing Recommendations
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Tuscan Bean Salad
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Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Small bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Strainer or colander
- Spoon or tongs
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ small red onion finely diced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon caper brine from jar
- 2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans rinsed
- 1 bell pepper diced (red, yellow, or orange)
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley minced
- ⅓ cup fresh dill chopeed
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic (let it sit in the lemon juice for 5-10 minutes to mellow), capers, caper brine, red pepper flakes, thyme, and salt until well combined.
- Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, add the rinsed cannellini beans, diced red onion, bell pepper, parsley, and dill.
- Mix the salad: Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve & enjoy: Serve immediately or let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days.
🌡️ Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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