Cannellini Bean Salad

5 from 1 vote

This hearty cannellini bean salad has cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta and homemade croutons tossed in a zesty lemon basil vinaigrette.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings:

Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

For croutons

1 1/2 cups bread cubes (about 1/2-inch), rustic country bread or sourdough
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For viniagrette

1/4 cup basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

For salad

2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
1 cup diced cucumbers
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
On a sheet pan, toss the bread with 1 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to make sure the bread is evenly dressed in the oil.
Bake the bread for 10 minutes. Turn it over to the other side. Continue baking for 7-10 minutes until the croutons are golden brown. Let them cool.
For the dressing, puree the basil leaves, garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Combine the cannellini beans, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, red onions and feta in a large bowl.
Toss the salad with half the dressing.
Gently stir in the croutons and any additional dressing as desired.

Notes

For meal prep, only add croutons to the portion you plan to eat right away. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep extra vinaigrette in a jar also in the refrigerator. Put croutons in a separate container at room temperature to stay crisp. Let the salad and vinaigrette sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

If you’ve already tossed in the croutons, don’t worry. They will soften, but the salad will taste good. You can add a fresh batch of croutons, if you want to make more.

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