Zesty Bean Salad with Feta

I’m always looking for recipes that make me feel like I’m eating something good for me without sacrificing flavor. You know, the kind of dish where you can go back for seconds and not feel guilty about it. This Mediterranean bean salad checks all those boxes.

Beans are such a smart base for salads. They’re filling, they’re affordable, and when you mix three different kinds together, you get different textures in every bite. Add in some fresh veggies, tangy feta, and a simple lemon dressing, and you’ve got yourself a dish that works as a side for dinner or a light lunch on its own.

The best part? Everything comes together in one bowl. No cooking required if you’re using canned beans. Just rinse, chop, mix, and you’re done. It’s the kind of recipe I make on Sunday and eat throughout the week, and honestly, it tastes even better the next day once everything has soaked up that dressing.

What Kind of Beans Should I Use?

This recipe calls for three different types of canned beans – cannellini, kidney beans, and chickpeas – which gives you a nice mix of textures and flavors. You can definitely swap in whatever beans you have on hand, like black beans, navy beans, or even pinto beans. If you’re using canned beans, make sure to drain and rinse them well to get rid of that starchy liquid and any excess sodium. And if you’re feeling ambitious, you can absolutely use dried beans that you’ve cooked yourself – they’ll have a firmer texture and even better flavor, though they do take more time to prepare.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is really forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Beans: You can mix and match any beans you have on hand – white beans, black beans, or navy beans all work great. Just keep the total amount around 3 cans worth.
• Feta cheese: If you’re not a feta fan, crumbled goat cheese makes a nice substitute. For a dairy-free version, just leave it out or add some diced avocado for creaminess.
• Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work just fine here. You might want to add a tiny pinch of sugar to balance the flavor if using apple cider vinegar.
• Kalamata olives: Any olives you like will do – green olives, black olives, or even a mix. If you’re not an olive person, you can skip them entirely.
• Fresh herbs: Don’t have fresh parsley or basil? Use about 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning instead, or whatever fresh herbs you have in your fridge.
• Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works, or you can use roasted red peppers from a jar for extra flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with bean salad is skipping the rinse – canned beans come packed in a starchy liquid that can make your salad taste bland and gummy, so drain and rinse them thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear.

Another common error is adding the feta too early and stirring it aggressively, which causes the cheese to break down and turn the salad mushy instead of keeping those nice crumbly chunks intact.

To get the best flavor, make sure you dice your vegetables into similar-sized pieces as the beans so every bite has a good mix, and let the salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the dressing to soak in.

If you’re making this ahead, wait to add the cucumber and tomatoes until just before serving since they can release water and dilute your dressing over time.

What to Serve With Mediterranean Bean Salad?

This bean salad is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it alongside grilled chicken, lamb kebabs, or even some pan-seared salmon for a complete meal. It also pairs really well with warm pita bread or naan that you can use to scoop up the beans and all that tangy dressing. If you’re making it for a cookout or potluck, it goes great next to other Mediterranean dishes like hummus, tzatziki, or tabbouleh. For a lighter option, just add some mixed greens underneath the bean salad to turn it into more of a main course salad.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad actually gets better as it sits! Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors really meld together after a day or two, making it perfect for meal prep. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle at the bottom.

Make Ahead: You can prep this salad a day or two in advance, which makes it great for potlucks or busy weeknights. If you want the veggies to stay extra crisp, you can store the dressing separately and toss everything together right before serving. The feta holds up well either way!

Serve: This salad is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. If you’ve stored it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 10-15 minutes before serving to bring out all those Mediterranean flavors. You might want to add a little extra lemon juice or olive oil if it seems dry after a few days.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1700-1850
• Protein: 60-70 g
• Fat: 75-85 g
• Carbohydrates: 190-210 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper

For the salad:

• 19 oz cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• 19 oz kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 15 oz chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 cucumber (diced)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted and halved)
• 1/2 cup parsley (freshly chopped)
• 1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 tbsp basil (fresh, chopped)
• 3/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

Step 1: Prepare the Vinaigrette Base

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard until emulsified.

Add the minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, stirring well to combine.

Set the dressing aside—I like to let it sit for a few minutes while prepping the vegetables so the garlic flavor can mellow slightly and the spices fully hydrate.

Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables

• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 2 tbsp basil

While the dressing rests, prepare all the vegetables for the salad.

Dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and pit and halve the kalamata olives.

Roughly chop the fresh parsley and basil separately (I keep them separate at this stage since basil bruises easily and benefits from being added last).

Place all prepared vegetables on a clean cutting board so they’re ready to go.

Step 3: Combine Beans and Vegetables

• 19 oz cannellini beans
• 19 oz kidney beans
• 15 oz chickpeas
• prepared vegetables from Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the rinsed cannellini beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas.

Add the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, sliced red onion, halved olives, and the parsley.

Toss everything together gently to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the beans.

The beans will provide structure and hold everything together nicely.

Step 4: Dress and Finish the Salad

• vinaigrette from Step 1
• bean and vegetable mixture from Step 3
• 2 tbsp basil
• 3/4 cup feta cheese

Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the bean and vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly, ensuring the dressing coats everything evenly.

Gently fold in the fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese just before serving—adding them at the end preserves their delicate flavors and prevents the basil from darkening.

Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Zesty Mediterranean Bean Salad with Feta

Delicious Zesty Mediterranean Bean Salad with Feta recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 1775 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 3/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper

For the salad

• 19 oz cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• 19 oz kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 15 oz chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 cucumber (diced)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted and halved)
• 1/2 cup parsley (freshly chopped)
• 1/2 cup red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 tbsp basil (fresh, chopped)
• 3/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard until emulsified. Add the minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, stirring well to combine. Set the dressing aside—I like to let it sit for a few minutes while prepping the vegetables so the garlic flavor can mellow slightly and the spices fully hydrate.
• While the dressing rests, prepare all the vegetables for the salad. Dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and pit and halve the kalamata olives. Roughly chop the fresh parsley and basil separately (I keep them separate at this stage since basil bruises easily and benefits from being added last). Place all prepared vegetables on a clean cutting board so they're ready to go.
• In a large bowl, combine the rinsed cannellini beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas. Add the diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, sliced red onion, halved olives, and the parsley. Toss everything together gently to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the beans. The beans will provide structure and hold everything together nicely.
• Pour the vinaigrette from Step 1 over the bean and vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly, ensuring the dressing coats everything evenly. Gently fold in the fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese just before serving—adding them at the end preserves their delicate flavors and prevents the basil from darkening. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.