Bean salads are having a moment right now, which I’m all for because I absolutely love them! If you ask me, there’s no better lunch than a veggie heavy bean salad. Throw in a little cheese and a bright vinaigrette, and you’re golden. While they can be a bit labor intensive, they’re perfect for meal prep so if you make one big salad you don’t have to worry about lunch for the next few days. In fact, they just get better the longer they marinate! This salad features delicate cannellini beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion, a little peach, some feta, herbs and a light lemon vinaigrette. I’m hungry just thinking about it.
Why no lettuce?
While lettuce is great, it’s not ideal for make ahead salads like this one because it’s prone to wilting. That said, sometimes when I make salads similar to this I’ll wash and chop some lettuce and put it in a separate container in the fridge. This way, I can add it to an individual portion right before eating it. It’s a great way to increase your veggie intake!
How can I make this salad easier to make?
While I personally think it’s totally worth it, I’ll admit that this salad requires quite a bit of chopping. Don’t worry, though, there are ways to make it easier! I have a food processor that can dice vegetables, so when I use that it takes about 5 minutes to make a chopped veggie salad. You could also use a manual chopper to simplify this process. I haven’t used one myself, but as far as I can tell they’re easy to use, well liked, and much cheaper than a fancy food processor.
Should I use canned or dried beans?
While I used dried beans for this recipe, feel free to use whichever you’d like! Canned beans are so wonderful. They’re cheap, easy, and super healthy. Plus you don’t have to cook them, which saves so much time!
Cannellini beans have thin skins, making them great for a bean salad because they soak up dressing well. That’s where most of the flavor is coming from here, so they’ll be delicious whether you use canned or dried. Just make sure to drain the liquid if you choose canned.
How do I cook dried cannellini beans?
Dried cannellini beans will take some time to cook, but they’re very low effort despite that. Soak them overnight or for a few hours beforehand. Then add them to a large pot and cover them with water. Cook on high heat until the water starts to boil. Then continue to boil for about 15 minutes before reducing the heat and letting the beans simmer for about an hour more. Once they start to soften, add salt to taste. When they’re tender, drain them and let them cool!
How long will this chopped veggie and cannellini bean salad last?
This salad will last about 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. And during that time it’ll only become more flavorful!
How many portions is this salad?
So, that depends. If you’ll be eating this as a full meal, it’s about 4 portions. But if you’re using it as a side, it’s closer to 8. It works great both ways, though!
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Chopped Veggie + Cannellini Bean Salad (Meal Prep Friendly)
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice Freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic Crushed or minced
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Chopped Veggie and Cannellini Bean Salad
- 2 Bell peppers Chopped, whatever colors you'd like
- 2 Persian cucumbers Chopped
- 1/2 Red onion Chopped
- 1 Large peach Chopped
- 16 oz Cannellini beans (Drained if canned)
- 8 oz Feta Chopped into small cubes
- 1/8 cup Dill Finely chopped
- 1/8 cup Mint Finely chopped
- Lemon vinaigrette (From previous section)
Instructions
Lemon vinaigrette
- Add lemon juice, garlic, honey, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper to a small jar or your container of choice. Close the lid and shake vigorously, then set to the side.
Salad
- Add peppers, cucumbers, red onion, peach, cannellini beans, feta, mint, and dill to a large bowl. Then pour the lemon vinaigrette over it and gently mix so that everything is nicely coated. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
So yes, lots of chopping here, but once you’re past that this salad comes together so quickly! I know I’ll be enjoying it for the rest of the summer. Hopefully you love it just as much as I do. If you make it, be sure to let me know what you think in the comments or on Instagram! It always makes my day when I hear from one of you.
Looking for more summer salad recipes? Try this little gem salad with passion fruit vinaigrette. It’s one of my favorites. Or if that’s not your style, give this fig and gorgonzola salad pizza a go. I’ve also got a killer balsamic, cantaloupe and mozzarella pasta salad recipe!
