Mediterranean Bean Salad packs chickpeas, white beans, your favorite Mediterranean vegetables and feta cheese into one healthy salad and is topped with a light lemony dressing. This works perfectly as a side dish to a meal, or as a lunch or light dinner main, served with pita bread and hummus.
In my house I make salads on rotation every week.
I like to start my meals with a salad and for lunch I will often eat salads. I also love easy recipes and this easy bean salad recipe is great for meal prep and travels well, so is ideal for a quick grab and go lunch, or a summer cookout.
My Mediterranean white bean salad with feta uses simple ingredients and is so easy to make. I’ve loaded this salad with all my favorite Mediterranean ingredients. Fresh herbs are your friend and I always like to add them to my salads, like the fresh mint, parsley and green onion used in this salad.
No salad is complete without a good salad dressing to bring everything together. I use good quality extra virgin olive oil, and mix it with lemon juice to create a light, zesty dressing.
If you like bean salads you also might like this Mediterranean White Bean Salad, Mediterranean Three Bean Salad or this Balela Salad.
I love using Mediterranean ingredients in my recipes, try my Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Mediterranean Buddha Bowl, Mediterranean Crostini, or my Mediterranean Pasta recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Bean Salad Recipe
Here are more reasons it’s a must-try salad recipe:
- Easy Preparation: No cooking required, this easy white bean salad is a simple assembly job and takes minutes to pull together.
- Versatile: This salad can be makes a great lunch, or light dinner option. You can also serve it as a salad side with other main dishes.
- Adapt the Recipe: Easy to adapt recipe, if there is an ingredient you don’t like the flavor of, simply leave it out.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beans: I used chickpeas and cannelini beans in this salad.
- Olives: I use pitted kalamata olives as they have great flavor.
- Roasted Red Peppers: For ease I always use a jar of roasted red peppers, just make sure you drain them properly before adding to the salad.
- Red Onion: A thinly sliced red onion adds a milder onion flavor to the salad, you could also use shallots which also have a milder flavor.
- Tomatoes: I use cherry tomatoes in this recipe as they have a great sweet flavor.
- Bell Pepper: I’ve opted to use a green bell pepper in this traditional recipe, but you can swap this for any color bell pepper.
- Cucumber: I like to use an English cucumber for this recipe but you can use a regular cucumber.
- Cheese: Feta cheese adds a salt, creamy element to the salad. If you can find a fresh block of feta buy that and crumble it yourself otherwise just buy crumbled feta.
- Fresh Herbs: I use both freshly chopped mint and parsley for a burst of herbal freshness in the salad.
- Green Onions: I finish the salad with some chopped green onions to add a burst of fresh onion flavor.
- Dressing: The salad dressing uses extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and spices.
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Pulses: I’ve used chickpeas and white beans, but you can use any beans you have. I really like black beans and red beans added in or substituted for the other beans.
- Vegetables: Try adding artichokes or fire roasted tomatoes.
- Dairy-Free: leave out the feta cheese, or swap it for a dairy free alternative.
- Cheese: Swap feta cheese for any variety of cheese, goats cheese would be a great alternative.
- Nuts & Seeds: Add some crunch and texture with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
- Olives: I’ve used kalamata olives but you can use any variety or color of olive in this recipe, or try a mix of olives.
- Dry Spices: you can add any variety of dried spices to the salad dressing, try a teaspoon of sumac, za’atar or oregano.
- Chili: Add a touch of chili heat with some crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Make Mediterranean Bean Salad
Step 1: Mix Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl mix together the chickpeas, white beans, olives, roasted red peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, feta cheese, mint, parsley and green onions.
Step 2: Make the Dressing: In a large mason jar or salad dressing container add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and whisk together. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of an additional spice if you like {try sumac, za’atar, oregano}.
Step 3: Dress the Salad: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat with the dressing. Serve with hummus and pita bread or use this salad as a topping for pita wraps, hummus plates or falafel.
Storage Tips
Store the salad in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. However, the white beans in this salad are best the first couple of days, otherwise the white beans do get pretty soft.
If you plan to use it throughout the week I recommend you leave the white beans out and just add them when you are ready to eat the salad.
Serving Tips
- You can enjoy this delicious salad as a main salad serving, with a side of crusty bread, some toasted pittas and a great tasting hummus, like my Lebanese Hummus or Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Try adding some seared shrimps, or tuna steak for a more substantial meal.
- It also makes a great side salad with a variety of main dishes, including soups and stewed dishes. Try this traditional Greek salad with my Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Crock Pot Beef Stew or Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast.
- My easy white bean salad also works really well with grilled meat and seafood, try it with my Lemon Salmon Kabobs, Baked Cod with Lemon, Greek Marinated Chicken with Tzatziki Sauce, or my Greek Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Lemon.
Recipe FAQs
White beans are the name give to a group of white beans, including cannellini beans, lima beans, great northern beans and navy beans.
In this salad it is best to use a variety of beans for color and texture (e.g., black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, or green beans). Canned beans are convenient—just rinse them thoroughly to remove excess salt and improve flavor.
Yes! If you have time let the salad marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to help the flavors meld together.
More Salad Recipes to Try
Salads
Summer Orzo Pasta Salad
Mediterranean
Easy Lebanese Salad
Vegetarian
Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the Mediterranean Bean Salad:
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas,, drained and rinsed
- 1 – 15 ounce can of white beans,, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives,, halved {you will want to use pitted olives}
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers,, drained, chopped
- 1/2 of a small red onion,, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes,, halved
- 1 green bell pepper,, seeds removed, diced {or color of your choice}
- 1/2 of an english cucumber,, diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese {optional}
- Handful of fresh mint,, chopped
- Handful of fresh parsley,, chopped
- 4 green onions,, chopped
For the dressing::
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon,, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves,, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional spices: 1 teaspoon of any spice you like {try sumac,, za’atar or oregano}
- Crushed red pepper for extra spice
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the chickpeas, white beans, olives, roasted red peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, feta cheese, mint, parsley and green onions.
- In a large mason jar or salad dressing container add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and whisk together.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of an additional spice if you like {try sumac, za'atar, oregano}. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat with the dressing.
- Serve with hummus and pita bread or use this salad as a topping for pita wraps, hummus plates or falafel.
Notes
- This salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an air tight container. I do think because of the white beans this salad is best the first couple of days otherwise the white beans do get pretty soft. If you plan to use it throughout the week you could leave the white beans out and just add them when you are ready to eat the salad.
- This salad is easily modified to your tastes. Try adding artichokes, a different beans, green olives, fire roasted tomatoes or goat cheese.
What other bean can you use besides chic peas ? Sounds yummy otherwise! Thanks
I think that black beans or kidney beans would be good in this salad. Honestly it is more about what beans you like- so if there is a particular bean you like you can use that! Enjoy!
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