Mediterranean Bean Salad

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. 

Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Bean Salad Recipe

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.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bean Salad

• Pulses: 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.

Salad Dressing

• Oil: When it comes to salad dressings I always opt for extra virgin olive oil as it has the best deep nutty flavor.
• Vinegar: I have used red wine vinegar in this recipe, but you could swap in white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.
• Lemon: For the best flavor I use fresh lemon juice in this recipe.
• Garlic: I use freshly minced garlic gloves for the best flavor.
• Seasoning: I season the salad dressing to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below. 

Recipe Variations

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt to taste:

• 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.

Serve with hummus and pita bread or use this salad as a topping for pita wraps, hummus plates or falafel.

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.

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.

Recipe FAQs

More Salad Recipes

• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Greek Village Salad
• Lemon Arugula Salad
• Cucumber Onion Salad
• Summer Orzo Pasta Salad
• Easy Lebanese Salad
• Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Mediterranean Bean Salad

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 even as lunch with pita bread and hummus. 

4.46 from 253 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: beans, healthy, lunch, mediterranean diet, salad, side dish, vegan

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

6

Author: Julia

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

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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.