You can make this easy Italian Bean Salad in five minutes! It's so delicious and always a hit. It's perfect for potlucks, parties or any day of the week!
Folks, this is one of the quickest, easiest, recipes on Cooking with Mamma C. This Italian Bean Salad is ready in five minutes but tastes like a million bucks!
It's one of my best Italian Side Dishes! It's perfect for your next party, potluck or meal any day of the week.
It's always a hit!
Recipe ingredients
This healthy, vegan bean salad contains no dairy. It just includes a bean medley, parsely and a simple vinaigrette dressing. Use canned beans for convenience.
Here's what you'll need for this three-bean salad recipe.
Cannellini: These are simply white kidney beans. If you need a substitute for cannellini beans, go with Great Northern or navy beans.
Black Beans: I love the firm texture of black beans and the pop of color they bring to this mixed bean salad. You can substitute red beans or kidney beans, if you prefer.
Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are called "ceci" (chay-chee) in Italian. That's the only term we've ever used in my family, usually when referring to Pasta e Ceci.
I remember the first time I needed to buy ceci at the grocery store and couldn't find them anywhere. Then I noticed a can of chickpeas with a photo that looked like ceci.
So I called Mom.
"Mom, I can't find ceci beans. But I found these chickpeas that look just like ceci."
"In English, they're called chickpeas," Mom told me.
"What?!!" It would've been helpful to learn that before I turned 30!
White Vinegar: I tested this Italian bean salad with three different kinds of vinegar and loved the white vinegar best. It's mild and refreshing, not overpowering. I keep a big jug in my pantry so I can mix it with water to clean floors!
But, if you need a substitute, try red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Olive Oil: I always use regular olive oil, since it's milder than extra-virgin olive oil. Use what you enjoy.
Garlic Powder: I'm not a fan of raw garlic in my food, so I always use garlic powder in salads, Tomato Bruschetta, etc. But, feel free to chop up fresh garlic if you prefer!
How to make Italian bean salad
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Drain and rinse canned beans in a mesh strainer in the sink. Pat the beans dry and place them in a medium serving bowl with chopped parsley.
- Add the bean salad dressing ingredients to a tiny bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the beans and stir to mix.
Recipe tips
- Rinsing and draining the canned beans gets rid of unwanted chemicals and sodium.
- This is a cold bean salad, but it's best to take it out of the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before serving until it's nearly room temperature. The olive oil in the dressing will solidify a bit in the fridge, so it needs a chance to thin out.
- Stirring the Italian Bean Salad again before serving it ensures the dressing is distributed evenly.
Variations
- For Italian white bean salad, skip the black beans and use just cannellini or a combination of cannellini and ceci (chickpeas). Feel free to add some chopped tomatoes or even a little red onion.
- For 5-bean salad, you'll need to add two more kinds of beans. Try pinto and cooked green beans. You might as well double the dressing, since you'll have nearly double the amount of beans.
- For 7-bean salad, you'd add another two types of beans. Consider options like butter beans and wax beans. Start with doubling the dressing and then see if you need to splash on a little more vinegar and add more seasonings.
What to serve with bean salad
This is the perfect picnic salad, so it goes with Super Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs, Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts, Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork or anything from your 4th of July menu. We also love to serve it as a hearty side dish for Salsa Salmon with Lime.
Frequently asked questions
No, canned beans are fully cooked and ready to serve. You just need to drain and rinse them for this recipe.
I recommend storing this Italian Bean Salad in the refrigerator for up to five days. I haven't tried freezing it, but you should be able to do so, as long as you don't add any tomatoes or vegetables to it.
More Italian salads
More bean recipes
Enjoy!
If you try this easy Italian Bean Salad, be sure to leave a comment and rating!
Italian Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (can use Great Northern or navy)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- ¼ cup fresh snipped parsley
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 â…“ tablespoons olive oil (2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a fine mesh strainer or colander, drain and rinse the beans with cold water. Add the beans to a medium bowl.
- Rinse some fresh parsley and snip the leaves off the stems until you can measure out ¼ cup of loosely packed parsley. Add the parsley to the bowl of beans.
- In a liquid measuring cup, add the vinegar, olive oil and seasonings. Whisk them to blend, then pour the dressing over the beans. Toss the bean salad with two spoons to mix it.
- Serve the bean salad at room temperature or slightly chilled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days. Stir the bean salad again before serving it.
Notes
- Rinsing and draining the canned beans gets rid of unwanted chemicals and sodium.
- This is a cold bean salad, but it's best to take it out of the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before serving until it's nearly room temperature. The olive oil in the dressing will solidify a bit in the fridge, so it needs a chance to thin out.
- For Italian white bean salad, skip the black beans and use just cannellini or a combination of cannellini and ceci (chickpeas). Feel free to add some chopped tomatoes or even a little red onion.
- For 5-bean salad, you'll need to add two more kinds of beans. Try pinto and cooked green beans. You might as well double the dressing, since you'll have nearly double the amount of beans.
- For 7-bean salad, you'd add another two types of beans. Consider options like butter beans and wax beans. Start with doubling the dressing and then see if you need to splash on a little more vinegar and add more seasonings.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Inspired by my aunt's Italian white bean salad. Originally published on June 7, 2016 and updated now with new photos and additional information.)
Carla McCants says
Super simple and super easy. very delicious. I used mine n cedar garlic instead of garlic powder and added a bit of celery seed to the recipe. was a big hit. Definitely recommended.
Mamma C says
Hi Carla - I'm so glad you enjoyed this! I'm assuming you used minced garlic, which sounds good!
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Oh Yum-playing catch-up A-
Mamma C says
Hi Cheryl!
Suchi @elegantmeraki says
I am always on lookout for new bean salad! Healthy, tasty and nutritious!
Mamma C says
Yes, this is guilt free. Thanks for stopping by, Suchi!
Kristen says
I love bean salad. its my favorite summer side dish. And I call them chickpeas 😉
Mamma C says
It's so good, whatever we call the beans! 🙂
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker says
Yes I know...beans lol! This dish looks delicious. And I love how you can pick your 3 favourites and mix it up. It looks very filling too. And 5 minutes? Can't beat that 🙂
Mamma C says
Lol! Thanks, Jolina!
Mark, Compass & Fork says
Love all those beans. Look at all of that color! So healthy and quick to make. Nice job.
Mamma C says
Thanks, Mark! Plus, the flavor can't be beat for such a small amount of effort.
Kate @ Veggie Desserts says
What a fantastic, super-quick side dish. I'll have to call chickpeas Gonzo beans now 🙂
Mamma C says
Haha! Now you know how my brain works. Thanks, Kate!