Easy Mediterranean Vegan Bean Salad Recipe
This Mediterranean Vegan Bean Salad recipe is filled with fresh veggies and beans and has a tangy mustard dressing. It’s ready in less than 10 minutes and is perfect for summer picnics or as a healthy side dish for lunch or a BBQ. It’s no surprise it’s one of our favourite vegan bean salad recipes!
I don’t know about you, but for me, salads are so often limp and unexciting. Yeah, I’m looking at you iceberg lettuce.
That’s why I’ve made it my mission to show the world that salad can be both healthy and taste amazing! With a little more imagination (but no more effort, thankfully) we can serve up a big bowl of yum as part of a family meal, or at a BBQ, picnic or potluck.
If you’re entertaining guests and don’t fancy a leafy green salad this budget-friendly dish is ideal. Make this in advance and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It also packs a nutritious punch with plant-based protein and fiber from the beans1. Win.
For this easy vegan bean recipe, we’re simply chopping up cucumber, tomatoes, olives and fresh herbs and mixing them in with rinsed canned beans and a quick Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Why You’ll Love This Bean Salad Recipe
- Ready in less than 10 minutes
- Budget friendly
- Packed with fiber and healthy plant-based protein
- Dairy free, gluten free and vegan
Ingredients Notes for Mediterranean Bean Salad
Salad ingredients:
Canned beans: I use canned Cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and borlotti beans, however, you could substitute for other types of beans depending on what you have. Black beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, or other types of white beans will work just as well. I like to mix up the colors to make the salad look pretty as well as tasty! Feel free to cook your own dried beans to use in the recipe if you prefer them to canned. Rinse the beans before using.
Cucumber: If you’re making ahead, I suggest adding the cucumber right before serving as it sometimes goes a little soggy if left a long time.
Cherry tomatoes: Half these, or if you only have larger tomatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Red bell pepper: The red adds a flash of color. Yellow or orange peppers would also taste good but wouldn’t have the same wow-factor in your salad.
Black olives: I roughly chop these so that they are a similar size to the other ingredients.
Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley, mint and basil taste SO good in this recipe! Cilantro (coriander) would be good too. If you only have dried herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon dried for each tablespoon of fresh. You’ll miss some of the bright summer taste of the fresh herbs, but they will still work ok.
Vegan feta: Optional extra if you want it to feel and look really ‘Mediterranean’. I use Violife Greek White.
Dressing ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil: A really good quality extra virgin olive oil make such a difference to the flavor of the dressing. We love the Filippo Berio brand.
Garlic: Go for fresh garlic for the authentic Mediterranean flavor. Use dried garlic powder if you’re out of fresh, but just reduce the amount.
Dijon mustard: This provides the sharp and tangy flavor to the dressing. Be sure to read the label and select a vegan Dijon mustard, as some brands contain white wine which is produced using dairy proteins.
White wine vinegar: This adds acidity to the dressing. Substitute for lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you don’t have white wine vinegar.
Salt and black pepper
Sugar: Optional addition of sweetness to balance the tangy dressing.
How to Make Mediterranean Vegan Bean Salad Recipe
- Drain and rise your beans. Place them in a large bowl and put to one side.
- Dice the cucumber and red pepper, roughly chop the olives and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add these to the bowl of beans.
- Finely chop the fresh herbs and add these to the salad bowl.
- Next, to make the dressing, begin by peeling and finely chopping the garlic. Add it to a small bowl, along with the olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Using a small whisk or a fork, mix the dressing until all the oil is mixed in and it is yellow and slightly foamy.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix until everything is evenly coated. Top with crumbled vegan feta and serve.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
Variations
Switch up the beans you use to create a different flavor.
Add fresh green beans for extra crunch. Simply pop trimmed and halved French green beans in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking and add to your salad.
Top Tips
- If you’re gluten free double check the label on the beans. In their natural form, all beans are gluten free, however, some brands have a risk of cross-contamination with wheat products.
FAQs
Should I rinse my canned beans?
Yes. Rinsing canned beans removes some of the sodium as well as any canning liquid residue left behind, which may alter the beans’ flavor and texture.
Which beans can I use in this recipe?
So many types of beans work in vegan bean salad recipes! I always used canned as they are a great time saver. Soak and cook your own dried beans if you prefer that.
You can use garbanzo beans (chickpeas), red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, butter beans, haricot beans, or any other similar bean.
How should I store this Vegan Bean Salad?
Place the salad in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Use within 3-4 days. Not suitable for freezing.
Easy Mediterranean Vegan Bean Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 14 oz / 400g cans beans (I used garbanzo beans/chickpeas, cannellini and borlotti)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 cup cucumber (approx 150g)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (approx 150g)
- 1 cup olives (approx 150g)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- vegan feta, crumbled (optional)
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (approx 4 tablespoons, 60ml)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the salad
- Drain and rinse the beans and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Dice the cucumber and red pepper, roughly chop the olives and halve the cherry tomatoes. Add to the bowl of beans.
- Finally, finely chop the fresh herbs and add to the bowl.
For the dressing
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well until combined. Pour over the salad and toss until the salad ingredients are well coated with the dressing.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Notes
- You can use a variety of beans for this salad. Throw in whatever you have available!
- Want extra veggies? You could add celery or lightly boiled & cooled french green beans. Make sure they’re fresh green beans rather than frozen or canned or your salad will be soggy. Yuck!
- Rinse your canned beans for best flavor and texture and to remove excess sodium.
- Some Dijon mustard brands include white wine in their ingredients, which is often processed using dairy proteins, so be sure to choose a vegan brand, or one made with vinegar instead of wine.
