Mediterranean Three Bean Salad

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Mediterranean Three Bean Salad is quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish for your summer grilling. I made this to accompany our grilled chicken over the weekend, and let’s just say I only had a few servings left for lunches for work.

Yep, it was that good. Do I even need to mention that it’s pretty healthy for you as well? The Cannellini beans provide a creamy contrast to the crunch of the chickpeas. And, tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese add a Mediterranean flair that is absolutely binge worthy.

FAQS:

How long can I store this salad in the refrigerator?

You can safely store Mediterranean Three Bean Salad in an airtight container the fridge for 3-4 days. IF it lasts that long 😉

What are Cannellini beans?

They are often also referred to as white kidney beans. Their texture is creamy, and the flavor is slightly earthy and nutty.

Overhead shot of Mediterranean Three Bean Salad in a teal bowl with olive wood salad servers.

HOW TO PREPARE MEDITERRANEAN THREE BEAN SALAD:

Drain and rinse the three cans of beans in a colander. Leave in the sink to drain completely while you chop the veggies.
Next dice a half cup of red onion, about half of a medium onion. Place the onion in a small bowl, and add the juice of one lemon. Stir so that all of the onion is covered. (This step will take some of the bite out of the onion.)
While the onion is soaking, chop the rest of your veggies. Dice a quarter cup sweet pepper. I used orange bell pepper, but you can use any color you prefer. Quarter a cup of grape tomatoes, and chop one and a half cups of cucumber. I like to use English or Persian cucumbers since there is no need to peel or seed.
Finally, pit and halve three quarters of a cup of Kalamata olives. I actually buy mine pitted so that all I have to do is chop them in half.
To assemble the salad, simply add the beans to a large bowl, then top with all the veggies and the olives. Yes, dump the red onion in with the lemon juice. Crumble one cup of feta cheese over the top.
Lastly, make the dressing. Simply add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, and shake vigorously to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix all ingredients together well.
Place, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to let the all the ingredients marinate together. Stir well before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITERRANEAN THREE BEAN SALAD:

We made this Mediterranean Three Bean Salad to serve with Grilled Garlic Sage Chicken Thighs.
You may also enjoy it will Oven-Baked Pork Chops or Smoked Pork Loin.
Alternatively, you could do what I did, and take this salad to work for a satisfying and delicious lunch.

Close up overhead shot of Mediterranean Three Bean Salad in a teal bowl with olive wood salad servers.

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MEDITERRANEAN THREE BEAN SALAD NOTES:

Soaking the chopped red onion in lemon juice for about 30 minutes helps to remove some of the bite.
Refrigerating for at least an hour allows the beans to marinate in the dressing, and develops a deeper flavor profile.
You can also blend the salad dressing ingredients in a small blender, such as a Magic Bullet, to quickly emulsify the dressing.
Date nectar isn’t always easy to find. You can substitute honey if you’d like. Or, you can make your own date syrup using Jessica’s recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen.

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OTHER SALADS YOU MAY LIKE:

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Greek Inspired Cucumber Salad

Landscape phot of Greek Cucumber Salad in a white bowl with a second bowl on a wood cutting board blurred in the background.

Greek Lentil Salad

Mediterranean Three Bean Salad

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Mediterranean Three Bean Salad is quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish for your summer grilling. Do I even need to mention that it’s pretty healthy for you as well?

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 15.5 ounce can red kidney beans
1 lemon
½ cup red onion, diced (soaked in juice of one lemon)
1 cup grape tomatoes (quartered)
¼ cup sweet pepper (any color), diced
1 ½ cups cucumber, chopped
¾ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons lemon juice (approximately one lemon)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon date nectar

Instructions

Drain and rinse the three cans of beans in a colander. Leave in the sink to drain completely while you chop the veggies.
Next dice a ½ cup of red onion, about half of a medium onion. Place the onion in a small bowl, and add the juice of one lemon. Stir so that all of the onion is covered. (This step will take some of the bite out of the onion.)
While the onion is soaking, chop the rest of your veggies. Dice a ¼ cup sweet pepper. I used orange bell pepper, but you can use any color you prefer. Quarter 1 cup of grape tomatoes, and chop 1 ½ half cups of cucumber. I like to use English or Persian cucumbers since there is no need to peel or seed.
Finally, pit and halve ¾ of a cup of Kalamata olives. I actually buy mine pitted so that all I have to do is chop them in half.
To assemble the salad, simply add the beans to a large bowl, then top with all the veggies and the olives. Yes, dump the red onion in with the lemon juice. Crumble one cup of feta cheese over the top.
Lastly, make the dressing. Simply add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, and shake vigorously to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the salad, and mix all ingredients together well.
Place, covered, in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to let the all the ingredients marinate together. Stir well before serving.

Notes

You can safely store Mediterranean Three Bean Salad in an airtight container the fridge for 3-4 days.
Date nectar isn’t always easy to find. You can substitute honey if you’d like.
Refrigerating for at least an hour allows the beans to marinate in the dressing, and develops a deeper flavor profile.
You can also blend the salad dressing ingredients in a small blender, such as a Magic Bullet, to quickly emulsify the dressing.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 484Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 22mgSodium 925mgCarbohydrates 60gFiber 16gSugar 8gProtein 23g

Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.