Turn a humble can of butter beans into a fresh and delicious salad, perfect for lunch or as a side dish. With just a few ingredients and an easy lemon Dijon dressing, you can have this tasty bean salad ready in minutes.
Canned Butter Bean Salad
This salad uses canned or tinned butter beans (also known as lima beans or giant white beans), making it quick and easy to prepare. Tinned beans are so convenient and a great budget way to add more protein to your diet.
My cupboard is always fully stocked with a variety of canned beans – they are cheap and so versatile. Check out my other bean recipes for more ideas on what to do with tinned beans. Some of my favourite meals using a can of beans include this Halloumi and Tomato Salad and Bean and Chorizo Stew.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Tinned Butter Beans – These giant white beans go by many names, including Lima beans in the USA, Gigante beans in Greece and Corona beans in Italy. They have a smooth and creamy texture with a mild taste. Although this is a Butter Bean salad, you could potentially swap the butter beans for another white bean like Cannelini or haricot beans, or even chickpeas (Garbanzo beans).
Cherry Tomatoes – You can also use diced salad tomato. I highly recommend a a Quarter Slicer for speedy cherry tomato cutting. For best results quarter the tomatoes first, sprinkle with salt and let them marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This causes the tomatoes to release their water, enhancing their flavour. Trust me when I say this step is a game-changer.
Green Olives – try capers instead for a similar tang.
Shallot – thinly sliced red or white onion will also work well.
Fresh Parsley – or try fresh chopped dill.
For the dressing:
Honey – if you do not consume honey you can use sugar or agave syrup in the dressing instead.
Lemon Juice – can be swapped for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Extra virgin Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard, and coarse or kosher salt (I use Maldon).
To make the salad dressing, combine all of the ingredients and mix until emulsified. I prefer to use a small jar – pop the lid on and shake well to mix. Alternatively add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk vigorously.
Top Tip
When making the salad dressing, measure the oil first with the tablespoon, then the honey. That way the honey won’t stick to the spoon.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Butter Bean Salad as a delicious vegetarian meal. Some crusty bread on the side can help the salad go further, or try tossing it with some cooked bulgur or quinoa.
Add some cheese – crumbled feta or mini mozzarella balls are a good choice. Or top with some slices of grilled halloumi.
This salad works well as a side dish too – it is great with grilled fish or chicken. I love to serve it as a side with roast chicken in the summer. Try serving it as a side for your next BBQ or cookout.
Butter bean salad is easy to make ahead and transport, so it works well as a lunch for work or school, or for Pot Lucks.
This recipe serves two as a main dish or 4 (or more) as a side dish.
Storage
Store butter bean salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature for best results.
Bean salad is best when made in advance so the flavours have time to meld and the dressing infuses the beans and other ingredients – ideally prepare at least an hour before serving.
Although you can freeze canned beans, I do not recommend freezing bean salad. Freezing can affect the taste and texture of the other ingredients.
More Bean Salad Recipes:
- Mango, Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Borlotti Bean Salad
- Mediterranean White Bean Salad
- Sweet Potato and Butter Bean Salad
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
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Butter Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 400 grams tin of butter beans - drained and rinsed
- 100 grams green olives
- 150 grams cherry tomatoes
- 3 shallots - (or one banana shallot)
- Handful parsley - chopped
- ¼ tsp coarse salt (kosher)
Dressing
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey - (measure the oil first and the honey won’t stick to the spoon)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp coarse salt (kosher) - I use Maldon salt
Instructions
- Quarter the tomatoes and add to a bowl with a sprinkle of salt (about ¼ tsp) while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Dice the shallot, slice the olives and drain and rinse the butter beans. Add to the bowl with the tomatoes and sprinkle over the chopped parsley.
- To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.
- For best results, let the salad sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving to allow the beans to soak up the dressing. Give it a quick mix before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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