Butter Bean Salad
on May 13, 2026
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This butter bean salad has cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onions and feta, all tossed in red wine vinaigrette. Ready in 10 minutes, you can serve this easy to make dense bean salad as a meal prep lunch or a dinner side dish.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is another way to do a bean salad besides the classic three bean salad. Butter beans deserve more attention. Bigger than cannellini beans, butter beans are fantastic in salads and side dishes.
No-lettuce salads with beans are great for sharing. Serve them at a potluck or a picnic. They’re a side dish/salad that won’t wilt.
This salad is hearty and filling and takes ingredient inspiration from a Greek salad. When the warm weather hits, I want every salad to have that mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and feta tossed in a good vinaigrette.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Butter beans are big and flat kidney-shaped beans. They vary in size depending on the brand. In the photos on this post, I used Signature Select, which is the store brand at Jewel, a local chain here in Chicago. The ones I made this smoky butter bean soup with are from Eden Foods and are smaller.
- Cherry tomatoes are juicier than grape tomatoes, which is why I prefer them, but either will work in this salad.
- Cucumbers: I like English or Persian cucumbers because they have less seeds and thinner skins than regular cucumbers.
- Kalamata olives add their briny flavor. Make sure to use pitted olives, so they’re easier to chop.
- Red onions, finely diced, give each bite a sharp accent.
- Feta is the perfect cheese to go with tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. A little bit salty and creamy, it’s my go-to summer cheese.
- Parsley: For an herby finish, I include chopped parsley. If you want something more bold, you can also include torn basil.
- Red wine vinaigrette: This oil and vinegar dressing has minced garlic, whole grain mustard, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper.
How To Make This Butter Bean Salad
1. Whisk together the dressing. I do this in a bowl that’s big enough for the beans and the rest of the ingredients. Then this a one-bowl salad, so there’s less to wash.
2. Stir the butter beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, parsley and feta into the vinaigrette.
Serving
This bean salad works with other recipes with Mediterranean flavors. Pair it with these grilled halloumi & vegetable skewers, these oven-baked zucchini corn fritters or this roasted ratatouille quinoa. I also like turning it into a main dish for lunch pita and homemade hummus on the side.
Find more salad ideas in my seasonal salad roundup featuring leafy green salads, bean salads and pasta salads.
Butter Bean Salad
Ingredients
For vinaigrette
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of 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 onions
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the garlic, mustard, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
- Stir the butter beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta and parsley into the vinaigrette.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
