What kind of beans should I use?

My favorite beans for this dish are Great Northern beans, but white navy beans, cannellini beans (sometimes these are a little mushy from the can), butter beans, chickpeas, lima beans, or even red kidney beans would be delicious in this recipe. If you’re looking for a firmer bean, go with butter beans or chickpeas.

I recommend serving this dish on it’s own as a light meal--it’s fantastic with toasted pita triangles or even naan (be careful as some grocery store naan can have dairy in the ingredients), or even as a dip with pita chips or tortilla chips, much like my vegan ceviche . You could also serve this white bean salad as a side to a hearty main dish like squash casserole , seitan chicken , BBQ tofu , tofu salmon , etc. It would also be great alongside a soup like my vegan chicken and dumplings .

How long does it keep?

This vegan white bean salad lasts about 2 days due to the nature of some of the ingredients. If you’d like it to last 4-5 days, substitute butter beans or chickpeas instead of the Great Northern beans, and instead of cucumbers, use diced red bell peppers or halved grape / cherry tomatoes. I’d also recommend substituting the dill for parsley or you can wait to add the dill (and cucumbers) till you’re ready to eat.

Can I make this salad using dry beans?

Yes! While canned beans are a great time saver and make this recipe take only a few minutes to throw together, dried beans are highly economical and you can control the amount of sodium they contain. There are plenty of guides for doing this online, but I’d recommend soaking 2 cups dried white beans in plenty of water overnight (in the fridge). Then drain and rinse the beans. Add to a pot with a very large pot (they expand a lot while cooking!) and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer covered for about 1-2 hours until the beans are tender. You’ll want to stir occasionally. You can also cook dried white beans in a pressure cooker, but you’ll want to refer to the manual for your brand of pressure cooker for instructions. I generally do about 25 minutes (for most white beans) at high pressure and then do a natural release (beans tend to burst if you do a quick release), but I have 6 qt Instant Pot Duo so that’s only what I do for my individual pressure cooker.

Vegan White Bean Salad

Name: Vegan White Bean Salad
Cook time: PT-476107H50M5S
Total time: PT-476107H50M5S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (see note 1 for oil-free variation); ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice; 1 ½ tablespoons agave (or any liquid sweetener); 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated (or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic); ½ teaspoon sea salt, to taste; ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste; 3 15-ounce cans (4 ½ cups) white beans (see note 2 for bean recommendations); 2-3 cups sliced Persian or seedless cucumbers (see note 3); 1 cup very finely diced red or sweet onion (or 6-8 chopped green onions); ⅓ cup loosely packed finely chopped fresh dill; 1-2 avocados, quartered and sliced (or diced), optional (see note 4)

Description

Bright, simple, and flavorful, this Vegan White Bean Salad is the perfect summer side or light meal. This great salad is ready in minutes!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (see note 1 for oil-free variation)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons agave (or any liquid sweetener)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Salad

3 15-ounce cans (4 1/2 cups) white beans (see note 2 for bean recommendations)
2-3 cups sliced Persian or seedless cucumbers (see note 3)
1 cup very finely diced red or sweet onion (or 6-8 chopped green onions)
1/3 cup loosely packed finely chopped fresh dill
1-2 avocados, quartered and sliced (or diced), optional (see note 4)

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Instructions

Note about oil: First off, this can be oil-free if you like. See note 1 for an oil-free dressing variation. If you’d just like to use less oil, use 2-3 tablespoons of oil and 2-3 tablespoons of water. The oil helps keep the salad from drying out but also influences the flavor which is why the recipe is written this way.
Make dressing: Start by mixing together the dressing in a small bowl or measuring cup (I like the measuring cup because it has a spout). Vigorously whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, agave, salt, and pepper. You could also mix this in a jar with a lid and just shake it vigorously. It is fully mixed when it appears smooth and cohesive.Taste and adjust the ingredients as desired.
Mix beans and veggies: Now mix together the white beans, chopped cucumbers and chopped onions.
Add dressing and dill: Add in the dressing and then add the chopped dill and mix thoroughly.
Serve: Serve with fresh sliced or diced avocados if desired and enjoy.
Store: While this dish is best fresh, you may refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Also, it’s best to add any avocado directly to individual plates since cut avocado doesn’t age well.

Notes

Note 1: Oil-free variation: Combine 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable broth or tahini (different flavors and textures, depending on your preference), 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard,1-2 tablespoons agave (or substitute date or maple syrup), a few tablespoons of water, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also just use way less oil if you prefer.
Note 2: My favorite beans for this dish are Great Northern beans, but white navy beans, cannellini beans (sometimes these are a little mushy from the can), butter beans, chickpeas, lima beans, or even red kidney beans would be delicious in this recipe. If you’re looking for a firmer bean, go with butter beans or chickpeas.
Note 3: I love Persian cucumbers (small, sort of pickle sized) for this because they’re tender and a little bit more flavorful with a delicate skin. Seedless (also called English) cucumbers are also great because they have a very thin skin that’s easy to eat. Regular cucumbers (with the large seeds) tend to have a thicker skin. If working with regular cucumbers I recommend peeling and seeding them.
Note 4: Don’t add the avocado right until ready to serve, and I recommend serving it directly onto everyone’s plates or bowls rather than mixing it into the salad. This is because if you have leftovers to store, the avocado browns and deteriorates rather quickly.

Cook Time: Total time: 5 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No Bake
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Vegan Salad, Vegan White Bean Salad