My Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad is easy to make and packed with tons of flavor. This refreshing summer recipe is great for making ahead of time and bringing to a picnic, or bbq, to share with friends. Enjoy as a side salad, a dip for bread, or mix pasta and cheese in for an easy vegetarian dinner. This simple salad recipe is a must make this season.
I’m finally back with new recipes! Between my computer breaking and going on a week long family vacation, I took an unintentional break. But, I’m back and feeling more inspired than ever. A few recent stomach flare-ups have had me avoiding gluten and dairy as of lately and I’ve been feeling much better. I don’t think I’m quite going completely GF or DF, but I am keeping it in mind more when doing my meal planning. Stay tuned for more healthy, easy and delicious summer inspired recipes! First up, this easy and flavorful Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Salad
- Perfect for summer – This white bean salad is bursting with fresh summer flavors, including cherry tomatoes, parsley and basil. It’s refreshing and can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature. Serve at your next backyard party and everyone will love it.
- Packed with flavor – The oil based dressing is made using red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice and garlic. It’s tangy and goes perfectly with the sweet cherry tomatoes and starchy white beans. Add your favorite fresh herbs for even more flavor.
- Easy to make – There’s no actual cooking involved in making this cherry tomato salad, only some chopping and mixing. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The flavors intensify as the ingredients marinate, so it is a great recipe for making ahead of time.
White Bean Salad Recipe Tips
- Let it marinate – The beans and cherry tomatoes really soak up the dressing when you let this salad sit for a few hours. Make it ahead of time for maximum flavor and let it sit in the refrigerator, or at room temperature (no longer than an hour), until ready to serve.
- Add extra ingredients – I made this version pretty simple, using just a few ingredients, but you can easily add any extra salad ingredients you like. I would recommend feta cheese, cucumber, olives or even your favorite greens.
- Use different types of tomatoes – I used all red cherry tomatoes for this specific salad, but I also love making it using a mixture of colors and types of tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes mixed with diced up heirloom tomatoes is a great combo.
- Serve with pasta – If you’re looking for an easy summer dinner, cook up some pasta and then mix it into the tomato and white bean salad. Add feta cheese, or parmesan, for extra flavor and protein.
Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Cherry Tomatoes – I used one dry pint of red cherry tomatoes that I sliced into quarters. Any kind of tomatoes will work for this salad, and you can even mix and match different colors and types, to make it more exciting.
- White Beans – I used one can of great northern beans for this salad, but you are welcome to use more if you want it more bean heavy. The white beans can be substituted with chickpeas, if needed.
- Red Onion – I like to add thinly sliced raw red onion, but any kind of onion will work. You can soak the sliced onions in ice water for a couple minutes to make them less sharp in flavor, if you prefer.
- Garlic – I like to use freshly chopped garlic for this recipe. It adds tons of flavor and you can use as much, or as little, as you like. Fresh garlic can be substituted for granulated garlic, if needed. I would use about 1/2 teaspoon.
- Fresh Herbs – I added chopped parsley and basil to this recipe because they both go well with tomatoes. Any kind of fresh herbs can be used though.
- Dressing – The homemade dressing uses olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, tamari, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. A simple vinaigrette can be substituted, if you prefer.
How To Make Marinated White Bean Salad
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk until combined well. Give the dressing a taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
- Add in the diced cherry tomatoes, diced red onion and drained white beans. Use a large spoon to mix together well. Add in the chopped fresh herbs and give one more quick mix.
- Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe is already vegan and gluten free.
- Add crumbled feta or goat cheese, if you want to add dairy.
- What tomatoes are best for this recipe? I like to use cherry tomatoes, but any color or type can be used. Just make sure to dice them into bite size pieces, if you are using full sized tomatoes.
- Can the white beans be substituted? Yes, you can easily sub them for chickpeas.
- How should this salad be enjoyed? It can be enjoyed as a side dish, or you can dip chips/bread into it. Mix it into pasta, or rice, for an easy vegetarian dinner.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container, leftovers should last about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Cherry Tomato Recipes?
Tomato Herb Butter Beans with Pesto Rice
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes
20-Minute Cherry Tomato Penne Pasta
Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
My Cherry Tomato and White Bean Salad is easy to make and packed with tons of flavor. This refreshing summer recipe is great for making ahead of time and bringing to a picnic, or bbq, to share with friends. Enjoy as a side salad, a dip for bread, or mix pasta and cheese in for an easy vegetarian dinner. This simple salad recipe is a must make this season.
Ingredients
- 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes, diced into quarters
- 1 (15 oz) can white beans*, drained and rinsed (great northern or cannellini will work well)
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, I used a mixture of basil and parsley
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 small squeeze fresh lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon tamari, or soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk until combined well. Give the dressing a taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
- Add in the diced cherry tomatoes, diced red onion and drained white beans. Use a large spoon to mix together well. Add in the chopped fresh herbs and give one more quick mix.
- Season with extra salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
*I like mine to have a lot of extra dressing, but if you don’t want that, you can easily add in an extra can of beans, or extra tomatoes.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Side Dish, Vegetarian
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
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