Cannellini Bean Salad
A simple yet refreshing Mediterranean-style salad with crunchy cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and a zingy lemon dressing. This cannellini bean salad (or white bean salad) is one of my favourite lunches when I’m feeling lazy or want something fresh and easy to take on the go. It is made with everyday ingredients that will leave you feeling good and full afterwards!

Cannellini Bean Salad
I first made this recipe during my placements, where it became one of my go to lunches while working long days. It is a tasty, filling meal and very refreshing when eaten cold during a heatwave (such as during the hot summer in Cairns)! Even better, it takes very little effort to put it together. This cannellini bean salad is a great option for a work lunch, as a side with dinner, or even to take to a barbecue. It is also a good way to use up any leftover parsley or cucumber!

Recipe suitability
This salad also comes with a tonne of benefits. With a whopping 8.1 grams per serve, this recipe is high fibre, which makes it an excellent choice for gut health! It is low in fat (and saturated fat), cholesterol and sodium, and therefore is heart friendly. While not enough to classified as high, this recipe contains a moderate amount of protein at 7.5g per serve. It is also gluten free and vegan!
What you need for Cannellini Bean Salad

KEY INGREDIENTS
- Cannellini/White beans – If using canned, opt for reduced or no added salt. Cannellini beans are high in protein, which helps maintain our muscles, and dietary fibre, which benefits our digestive health and prevents constipation. Both protein and dietary fibre also help keep us fuller for longer! Cannellini beans are also a great source of iron, which is used to make part of our blood cells, and magnesium, which is needed for muscle and nerve function.
- Tomatoes – Adds a pop of colour and a juicy sweetness. I chose multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, as they have different amounts of nutrients based on their colour. For example, red tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, yellow have more folate and potassium, and green tomatoes have more vitamins C and K.
- Parsley – Gives a peppery and earthy tone to the salad. Parsley is rich in vitamin K, which our bodies need for wound healing and bone health. It is also a great source of beta-carotene, which our bodies convert into vitamin A to maintain our vision and eye health.
- Lemon juice – Fresh and zesty. Lemon juice contains a lot of vitamin C, which helps maintain our skin and tissue health and helps our bodies absorb iron from the food we eat.
- Extra virgin olive oil – The base for our dressing. Extra virgin olive oil is loaded with monounsaturated fats, which have benefits for heart health and may lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also contains vitamin E, an essential nutrient that acts as a powerful antioxidant to help reduce inflammation and prevent cell damage.

OTHER INGREDIENTS
- Cucumber – Gives the salad a crunch element but keeps it light and fresh. Any type of cucumber will work.
- Mint – Trust me, mint takes this salad to a whole other level!
- White wine vinegar;
Toss it all together, and you’re done!

Storage
This salad will keep in the fridge for roughly 3 days. However, the mint may interact with the lemon juice, causing the torn leaves to turn dark grey/green (still good to eat!). Just add the mint just before you’re ready to serve to prevent this.
The dressing will also cause any salad leaves to break down quicker than usual (due to the lemon juice). I recommend adding the salad leaves just before serving. Or for a work lunch, place the salad into a container and put the leaves and mint on top.
Tips & Substitutes
Dried cannellini beans should work just as well for this recipe but will add roughly 1 hour to the prep time. Just cook the dried beans as per the packet instructions. Allow the beans to cool before mixing with the other ingredients, or the parsley and mint may wilt. This recipe can also be made with different legumes like chickpeas or lentils.
Other ingredients you could add to the cannellini bean salad are rocket/arugula (goes well with this salad!), lettuce, red onion for a bit of kick, celery or radish for extra crunchiness, or a little bit of feta or goat cheese.
Hungry for more?
Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest updates!

Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber, unpeeled, sliced & cut into quarters
- 1 1/2 cups flat leaf / continental parsley, roughly chopped (loosely packed)
- 3 tbsp mint, torn (Note 2)
Dressing
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mint in a large bowl.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice to a jar. Put the lid on and shake to mix.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to coat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cherry Tomatoes – I chose a punnet of the Fresh Medley Perino Tomatoes from Coles, as they are multi-coloured, which means they offer a greater variety of nutrients. However, regular cherry tomatoes will also work.
- Mint – If not serving straight away, I recommend leaving the mint out until you do. The lemon juice in the dressing will cause the mint to turn slightly grey and look unappealing, but still good ok to eat.
- Dressing – To preserve the salad for a later time, hold of on Step 3/adding the dressing. Only dress the salad prior to serving.
- Customisation – This recipe goes well with other salad vegetables including lettuce, rocket or spinach, but you may need to increase the amount of dressing. However, salad leaves will begin to wilt and break down after 2-3 days in the dressing.
- Nutrition – Calculated per serving assuming 3 serves.
- Â