Mediterranean Bean Salad

Mediterranean Bean Salad is nutritious, delicious and so easy to make!  And it travels well, so it’s a perfect cold bean salad to take to a potluck or summer barbecue! 

This Mediterranean Bean Salad will remind you of a classic three bean salad (or 3 bean salad), but it’s even better!  We’ve added a lot of extra goodies here like celery, cucumber, onion, tomato, parsley and basil and it’s all tossed in a delicious Italian vinaigrette. 

You’ll love how easy this bean salad recipe is to make, and if you want to make it extra special, toss in some Mediterranean kalamata olives and sliced pepperoncini into the mix.  I bought them to add to this salad, but completely forgot to do so.  I recommend adding either one or both.  They add so much flavor and Mediterranean flair to this dish!  A little grated parmesan cheese also adds a nice touch.

THREE BEAN SALAD RECIPE

This 3 bean salad is a delicious mix of canned garbanzo beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans all tossed with chopped organic vegetables and fresh herbs.

• Garbanzo Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Cannellini Beans
• Red Onion
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Italian Parsley
• Basil
• Bean salad dressing
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Kalamata olives (optional)
• Pepperoncini (0ptional)

HOW TO MAKE THREE BEAN SALAD

This cold bean salad comes together in about 10 minutes start-to-finish.  It can be eaten at room temperature, but it’s really best if chilled for an hour or two before serving.  

1. In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the salad and toss.
2. Drizzle the dressing over the ingredients and toss again.
3. Refrigerate for 45-60 minutes before serving.

BEAN SALAD DRESSING RECIPE

This bean salad dressing uses just four simple ingredients (olive oil, lemon, garlic and Italian seasoning) to lightly toss your salad with.  You can adjust the seasoning after tossed, adding more or less, to your liking.

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Garlic
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

HOW TO MAKE BEAN SALAD DRESSING

This three bean salad dressing comes together as quickly as you can shake a jar, but it’s best if chilled in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and Italian seasoning.
2. You can also add the ingredients to a mason jar, seal the lid tightly and shake to mix the ingredients well.

VARIATIONS

• Use feta cheese instead of Parmesan
• Add other vegetables like chopped zucchini and red pepper
• Toss in some kalamata olives and pepperoncini 
• Add fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons
• Double up on the dressing so the beans can marinate (and you’ll have a little dressing left over for a green salad).
• Sprinkle in a little dried basil and oregano (I always sprinkle in about 1/4 teaspoon each for a more robust flavor)

WHY WE LOVE THIS SALAD

• So quick and easy to make
• It travels well making it a perfect potluck and barbecue salad 
• High in protein and fiber
• It’s vegetarian (vegan if you omit the cheese)
• Makes a great as a side dish or vegetarian main course
• It’s great tossed with a green salad for extra protein and flavor

HEALTHY SALAD RECIPES 

• Curried Chickpea Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Greek Chopped Salad
• The Best Tuna Pasta Salad
• Wild Rice Salad

Originally published 3.2019 – update 10.2020

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Yield: 8 servings

Mediterranean Bean Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

This Mediterranean Bean Salad is nutritious, delicious and so easy to make!  And it travels well, so it's a perfect potluck and summer barbecue salad to make!

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, optional
• 1/3 cup pepperoncini, optional

For the Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• juice of 1-1/2 lemons
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ground pepper and sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, add the ingredients for the salad and toss.
2. Drizzle the dressing over the ingredients and toss again.
3. Refrigerate for 45-60 minutes before serving.

For the Dressing

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Notes

VARIATIONS

• Use feta cheese instead of Parmesan
• Add other vegetables like chopped zucchini and red pepper
• Toss in some kalamata olives and pepperoncini 
• Add fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons
• Double up on the dressing so the beans can marinate (and you’ll have a little dressing left over for a green salad).
• Sprinkle in a little dried basil and oregano (I always sprinkle in about 1/4 teaspoon each for a more robust flavor)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 718mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 11gSugar: 10gProtein: 14g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations.