This quick and simple white bean salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions will have your next stunner of a side dish ready in under 15 minutes. It is refreshingly delicious and the perfect side salad for your next family dinner or your next cookout. To top it all off, it is super healthy and vegetarian as well!
Using canned beans will allow for a super quick preparation while simultaneously being healthy and extremely tasty (the same applies to this simple chickpea cucumber feta salad and this canned lentil recipe by the way).
Ingredients
Only a few simple ingredients are required to create this finger-licking good bean and cucumber salad:
- White Beans: Of course, youโll need white beans. You can either go with white kidney beans (also Cannellini beans), Great Northern, or Navy beans. Either white bean will work perfectly fine for this dish. Youโll need about half a regular can, approximately 8.5 oz.
- Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are loaded with beneficial vitamin C, while also adding the perfect crunch to our bean salad. If you prefer yellow or green bell peppers, have at it, and go with either one of those. Alternatively, you may also use banana peppers for this dish. Just keep in mind that these do not pack the same punch in terms of crunchiness. But, as always, whatever floats your boat.
- Tomatoes: Iโd suggest using smaller, firmer tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes. Of course, you may also use โregularโ tomatoes, just remember that bigger tomatoes have a higher water content which, in turn, can make your salad a bit watery.
- English Seedless Cucumber: You will find them at the store labeled as โEnglish Seedless Cucumberโ. If you go with an organic cucumber, you wonโt have to peel it and can just chop it up as is, then toss it straight into the mix.
- Onion: A white onion will add a nice, intense note to your salad. Chop them up into pretty half-moon shapes and you are guaranteed to stun your chowtime audience with another tasty โlookerโ. Choose spring onions if youโre looking for a milder, pungent flavor.
- Fresh Parsley: Either Italian parsley or curly parsley will work just fine. As with most herbs, you just measure that stuff with your heart ;).
Serve with fresh herbs and a simple oil-vinegar-based dressing, and your delectable salad is done.
Instructions
The cucumber tomato bean salad is incredibly fast and easy to prepare. Cutting down on kitchen time is my personal โkey ingredientโ and thereโs nothing like another quick and easy recipe to add to oneโs arsenal, am I right? ๐
Step 1
Thoroughly rinse and drain your canned beans using a strainer. Make sure to rinse them until no more โfoamโ is visible, then set them aside for a few to drain out as much liquid as possible.
Step 2
Wash your red bell pepper, cut it in half, remove the core and seeds, and then continue by chopping it into bite-sized chunks.
Next, wash your cherry tomatoes and cut them into halves or, depending on size, quarters. If you are using regular-sized tomatoes, just go ahead and chop them into smaller chunks.
Now, wash (and peel) your cucumber and cut it into bite-sized pieces as well. You wonโt have to peel the cucumber if youโve opted to go with organic produce.
Peel and cut your onion into half, then proceed with cutting it into half-moon shapes or, if you prefer, quarter-moon shapes. Each halved onion should be cut into quarters before being sliced for quarter-moon shapes. Either shape will look great visually.
Step 3
Toss the drained white beans into a bowl. Add your red bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions to the mix.
Give your parsley a good rinse and chop finely. After that, add it to the rest of the ingredients.
Last but not least, generously season everything with salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Step 4
To create our delightful dressing, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and water. Mix well using a fork or a little whisk. Use a regular cup or any container with a screw top, give it a good shake, and your yummy dressing is done. The most important thing is for the honey to completely dissolve and distribute well!
Pour the dressing over your salad ingredients and incorporate well. Give it another quick taste to make sure itโs up to the chefโs standards!
Recipe Variations
I have kept things in my tomato cucumber bean salad as simple as possible. Feel free to adjust this recipe in whichever way you prefer. Listed below are a few additional ideas for you:
- Feta cheese pairs beautifully with our other salad ingredients. Keeping a serving size of 4 in mind, Iโd say approx. 5 oz of feta cheese should do the trick. But, of course, feel free to add as much as youโd like, and since they typically come in 4, 6, and 8 oz containers, you wouldnโt want to waste anything. Adding feta cheese also provides a good dose of protein.
- Craving a vegan dish today? Substitute the honey with agave or maple syrup (or something similar).
- Fancy a more intense flavor? Add a garlic clove straight to your dressing using a garlic press. The perfect flavor combination for your next BBQ as well, btw ;).
- Looking for a Mediterranean or Greek touch to your dish? Then opt to add in some olives (in addition to your feta cheese).
- As another herb, and depending on your personal preference, either fresh or dried thyme may also be added to elevate your dish.
Perfect Pairings
The quick and easy bean cucumber tomato salad I created was meant to be served as a side salad. Its servings yield smaller portion sizes that may be combined with a multitude of various other main dishes or entrรฉes. Also a perfect appetizer or side dish to complement your favorite sandwich at lunchtime.
This salad will most definitely have people licking their bowls at your next cookout. If you intend to whip this dish up for a large BBQ crowd, just double or even triple the recipe. The last thing you want is to run out of food before everyone is fed.โฏ;)
Another bonus is the meal-prep-friendly nature of this cucumber and white bean salad, making it the ideal office lunch or nutritious snack on the go. Youโre welcome!
FAQ
White Bean Tomato Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 8.5 oz white beans
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 1/3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 English seedless cucumber
- ยฝ white onion
- fresh parsley
- salt, black pepper, paprika
Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ยฝ tsp honey
- 1 splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and drain your white beans, then set aside to let them drain out some more.
- Chop up red bell pepper, tomatoes, and cucumber into bite-sized chunks. Peel and slice your onion into either half-moon shapes or simply dice it.
- Toss your beans and other vegetables into a bowl, season to taste, and garnish with your fresh parsley.
- Combine all remaining ingredients to create the dressing and drizzle over your salad. Incorporate all components well. Then, give it another quick taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
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