Marinated Butter Bean Salad

This marinated butter bean salad is herby, lemony, garlic-y, all the things you want in a good bean salad. This one is great for meal prep as it tastes even better after it has had time to chill.

This marinated butter bean salad is one I make in repeat and always wish I’d doubled the recipe. It’s chock full of herbs, lemon, olives, and jarred red peppers—serve on its one or scoop up bites with crackers. I often incorporate it into a snack plate for lunch with crackers and other fresh veggies.

Why You’ll Love these Marinated Butter Beans

• Good for You: As a dietitian, I love beans because they really are the whole package. Unlike other dietary proteins, they deliver protein alongside a generous amount of fiber. And when most of us aren’t getting enough fiber, simply adding just one-half cup of beans to your plate packs in a whopping 8 grams. Might as well make that extra fiber delicious as well. 
• Quick and Easy: This bean salad couldn’t be any easier to put together. You just give things a quick chop, toss it all in a bowl and mix. Done! We make this one a lot in the summer when it’s too hot to cook.
• Meal Prep Friendly:  This butter bean salad tastes even better the next day. As everything sits in the fridge, the flavors get a chance to mingle for an even more delicious salad.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a quick rundown of the main ingredients you’ll need for this easy marinated bean salad recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the specific amounts of each ingredient you’ll need.

• Olive oil: This heart healthy oil is used as the base for the simple dressing for this salad.
• White wine vinegar: I love the light and bright flavor of white wine vinegar for this recipe but you can substitute with other vinegars like red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Roasted red pepper: buy these in a jar and drain then chop to add to your salad.
• Green olives: I like to use Castelvetrano olives for this salad.
• Lemon: use fresh squeezed lemon and zest for the best flavor.
• Fresh herbs: add lots of color and flavor to this salad with some fresh chopped herbs. I like to use a combination of parsley and dill but cilantro and basil are also tasty options.
• Butter beans: These big beans have such a great texture and their neutral flavor means they don’t compete with the other flavors in this salad.

Substitutions and Variations

Use a Different Bean: I love the size, flavor, and texture of butter beans but I know that they can be hard to find. You can easily swap them for white beans or chickpeas instead. A dried bean option that also works are Gigante beans. You’ll need to pre-cook them but the ones from SIMPLi are my favorite.

Swap the Red Pepper for Sun-Dried Tomatoes: if you want to switch things up a little, you can substitute the jarred roasted red pepper with sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil. Just drain and chop, then toss them with the rest of the salad ingredients.

How to Make these Marinated Butter Beans

Mix up the Marinade: To a large bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, shallot, red pepper, green olives, garlic, lemon zest, and herbs. Stir well. 

Add the Beans: Add the butter beans and stir to coat in marinade. Taste and add more salt, to taste.

Chill and Serve: Cover bowl or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight to let the flavors soak into the beans. Serve this marinated bean salad on toast, salad, or pasta! 

Make Ahead and Storage

Make Ahead: this marinated bean salad is great for meal prep since it only tastes better as it sits in the fridge. I love making a batch on Sunday so I can include it in my work-from-home lunch for a couple days.

Storage: store these beans will keep in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

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