The Best White Bean Salad

Article by Amy Stevenson

These days, beans are a culinary darling. They’re a great source of protein. They’re also relatively inexpensive and last a long time in the pantry. There are many different ways you could turn white beans into a salad, but we think it’s important to think about the balance of ingredients in the dish. Beans are a blank canvas, so add some vegetables that are crisp (like the red onion and fennel in this recipe) and juicy (the tomatoes). Balance that with briny olives and feta and the freshness of herbs and lemon zest. Finish with a tangy dressing, flavored with garlic and fennel seed.

The Best Beans for White Bean Salad

The first step for any bean salad is no surprise – the beans.

What beans are white? While this recipe calls for cannellini beans, you could certainly swap in an equal volume of any other type of white bean, such as small navy beans or Great Northern beans.

Canned beans: Canned beans are perfectly fine for a bean salad – they are a great pantry staple in general. Unless you need to avoid sodium, don’t buy low-sodium canned beans as they have a lot less flavor. While they will absorb flavor from the dressing, they’ll still be bland compared to beans cooked with a little salt. Not all canned beans are created equal. Look for a brand you like and stick with it. When you open the cans, the beans should be mostly whole – a few broken ones are ok, but they shouldn’t stick together and crumble when you rinse them. Goya is a very consistent brand that the Food Network Test kitchen relies on again and again.

Dried beans: If you do want to cook your own beans for this salad, dress them while they are still warm as they will soak up more flavor from the vinaigrette.

How to Make White Bean Salad Like a Pro

Buy the right fennel: Select fennel with lots of bright green healthy fronds, the fronds are edible and have a mild anise-like flavor. The feathery, innermost fronds are the most tender and best for using raw.

Rinse and drain the beans well: For a bean salad, rinse and drain the beans well. Pat dry with a kitchen towel to absorb any excess liquid to prevent a soggy salad.

Soak the red onion: We soak the red onion in ice water for 15 minutes to crisp it up and remove some of their sharpness. Make sure to drain and pat them very dry before adding to the beans though.

Create a warm dressing to permeate the beans: Infusing the oil with garlic and fennel is an extra step but worth it for two reasons. First, blooming the fennel and garlic in warm oil removes any harshness and rounds out the flavors. Also, adding a warm dressing will help it permeate the beans better.

Cook with sliced garlic: When cooking with garlic, you can use it in three main forms: whole cloves, sliced or chopped. Each way produces a different level of flavors. Whole smashed cloves will leave the mildest garlic flavor, while chopped will give you the strongest taste of garlic. Cooking sliced garlic in the oil is the perfect middleman – you'll have the flavor of garlic but it will balance the other ingredients without overwhelming them.

Add the cheese and herbs after the dressing: Add the feta and herbs after you add the warm dressing, so it doesn’t soften the feta or wilt the herbs.

Can You Make this Cannellini Bean Salad Ahead?

Let the salad sit for 30 minutes or up to an hour at room temperature to allow the flavors to blend. This salad can also be made up to a day ahead but remove from the refrigerator about an hour before serving because it tastes best at room temperature.

What to Serve with White Bean Salad

Serve this with chicken, shrimp or roast pork loin or as a side for burgers. It also makes a great meal on its own over a bed of greens or with some pita or other flatbread.