This butter bean salad combines cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onion and feta, all tossed in a bright red wine vinaigrette. Ready in about 10 minutes, it’s an easy, hearty salad you can serve as meal-prep lunches, a picnic dish, or a flavorful side.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The Ingredients
- How To Make This Butter Bean Salad
- Serving
- Butter Bean Salad Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is a fresh take on a classic bean salad. Butter beans are larger and creamier than many other canned beans, making them especially satisfying in a no-lettuce salad that holds up well at room temperature—perfect for potlucks and picnics. The combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta gives the salad a Mediterranean feel, and the red wine vinaigrette ties everything together with garlic, mustard and oregano.
The Ingredients
What you need:
- Butter beans — large, flat beans that are creamy when cooked. Use canned for convenience; rinse and drain before mixing.
- Cherry tomatoes — halved. They bring juicy sweetness; grape tomatoes work too.
- Cucumbers — diced. English or Persian cucumbers have fewer seeds and thinner skins.
- Kalamata olives — pitted and halved for briny depth.
- Red onion — finely chopped for a bright bite.
- Feta — crumbled, adds salty creaminess that complements the vegetables.
- Parsley — chopped, for a fresh, herbaceous finish (basil can be substituted if you prefer).
- Red wine vinaigrette — garlic, whole grain mustard, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil whisked together.
How To Make This Butter Bean Salad
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, whole grain mustard, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil to make the vinaigrette.
2. Add the rinsed and drained butter beans, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, halved kalamata olives, finely chopped red onion, crumbled feta and chopped parsley. Toss gently to coat everything in the vinaigrette.
Serving
This salad pairs well with other Mediterranean-inspired dishes or grilled vegetables and makes a satisfying lunch when served with pita and a dip like hummus. It can be made up to two hours ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days—bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers are also excellent stirred into cooked grains such as quinoa, farro or barley.
Here is the recipe card:
Butter Bean Salad
Ingredients
For vinaigrette
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For salad
- 2 15-ounce cans butter beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/3 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Whisk garlic, mustard, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Stir in butter beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion, feta and parsley until evenly coated. Serve immediately or chill briefly.
Notes
You can make the salad up to 2 hours ahead. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let leftovers sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers are excellent mixed with cooked grains like quinoa, farro or barley.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.