• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An Oregon Cottage logo

  • Recipes
    • Best Desserts
    • Easy Salads
    • Easy Side Dishes
    • Homemade Breads
    • Sourdough
    • Homemade Soups
    • Pantry Basics Recipes
    • Simple Dinner Recipes
    • Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Simple Snacks
  • Canning & Preserving
    • Canning Recipes
    • Dehydrator Recipes
    • Freezing Produce
    • Fermented Food Recipes
  • Gardening
    • Yard & Garden Tour
    • Vegetable Garden
    • Flowers, Beds & Borders
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ultimate Vegetable & Fruit Guides
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • 1900 Farmhouse
    • 1982 Ranch-turned-Cottage
    • Easy Handmade Gifts
  • Shop
    • Flexible Planner, Cookbooks, Ebooks & More
    • An Oregon Cottage's Amazon Shop
    • Shopping and Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Organic Gardening
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Get my newsletters + access to a library full of printables!

    Home » Whole Food Recipes » Easy Salads

    October 12, 2017 | By Jami

    Tuscan White Bean Salad

    Jump to Recipe

    A super easy white bean salad flavored with Tuscan ingredients like olive oil, basil, dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers. It's a great potluck option! Head over to the Quick Healthy Recipes page for more great ideas.

    Tuscan white bean #salad recipe - simple, satisfying, and perfect for potlucks! #easyrecipe

    Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

    This tuscan white bean salad one of our favorite salads, is very simple to make, plus it uses ingredients I normally have on hand, including tomatoes which I dry from my garden produce each year and keep in olive oil.

    Sometimes in the summer I like to plan a meal that consists of one, two, or three salads and to increase the amount of protein, I include a bean salad. With it's flavors of garlic, basil, balsamic and the pop of dried tomatoes and other vegetables, this salad tops the list.

    This also makes a great potluck dish - I've gotten a ton of compliments when I've served it to a crowd (little did they know how inexpensive and easy it was!). This also keeps really well, making it a good option for meal prepping and for taking on camping trips.

    Make Tuscan White Bean Salad

    Tuscan bean salad-Dried tomatoes

    The ingredients you'll need to make this white bean salad are often pantry staples:

    • White beans: Great Northern, Cannellini, or Navy (If using dry beans , you can cook and freeze them anytime according to the method I discussed here to be ready to use in this and other recipes.)
    • Dried tomatoes in oil (or homemade dried tomatoes like this) - if using tomatoes not packed in oil, rehydrate them in water first.
    • Balsamic vinegar
    • Olive oil (the oil from the tomatoes is best)
    • Onion
    • Roasted red peppers
    • Fresh basil, garlic, and Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese

    I used Great Northern white beans, cooked and frozen according to the method I shared here, but any of the white beans listed above will work. You can use canned beans or cook the beans right before assembling the salad. Using dry beans in either of these cooking methods is the way to make it the most budget-friendly and be in total control of the all the ingredients.

    3 Cooking Tips For This Recipe (and Other Salads):

    Tuscan bean salad dressing whisking trick

    1. The first tip is a way to make the dressing (or any homemade vinaigrette) blend easier:

    Use a small whisk held between your hands and twist the handle back and forth quickly. You'll be amazed at how it emulsifies the oil and vinegar in seconds, no kitchen appliances needed, and lasts a lot longer than simply shaking in a bottle.

    Tuscan bean salad-slicing onion step 1

    2. Easy way to chop or dice onions. Cutting onions is many people's least favorite kitchen task (mine is peeling and chopping garlic - ugh), mainly because they can be strong and make your eyes water.

    Here's how:

    • Peel, slice the ends off, and cut the onion in half. Lay one half on it's side and starting at the ends, cut slices horizontally - bigger slices like pictured above for chopped onions, or thinner slices for diced onions.

    Tuscan bean salad-slicing onion step 2

    • Turn the onion's root end toward you and slice vertically, holding the slices together as you go creating small onion pieces.

    These two cuts utilize the onions natural rings to provide the next 'cut' into smaller pieces. Sometimes you need to break them up a bit, but most of the time that happens when you're mixing them into your dish. I never chop onions any other way now!

    Cutting onions this way vs. the way I was originally taught (cut sections one way down, turn and cut the other way, then put on it's side and cut slices…) is faster and easier leading to less time for the sulfur to make it's way to your eyes (or whatever causes the tears…). It's also safer, because you aren't dealing with a whole onion - round and slippery doesn't play well with sharp knives typically.

    Tuscan bean salad-basil

    3. How to cut the basil in strips for this salad. Cut the leaves in half if they are large, and then make a pile of them with some smaller leaves. Roll them up as best you can and start slicing them from an end.

    This makes thin, slightly longer pieces that are nice in salads like this.

    Tuscan white bean salad

    Now - onto the salad! After your ingredients are prepped, you mix the dressing and pour it over the bean mixture, stirring well. Add about 1/4 cup of the grated cheese and mix and season with salt and pepper. That's it.

    Spoon the salad into a serving bowl or platter (if different from the mixing bowl). Top with the remaining grated cheese and a sprig of basil.

    Like I mentioned, this salad is actually better as it sits, making it perfect to make ahead for potlucks, parties, and camping trips. It's a great combo - easy and SO delicious!

    Tuscan white bean salad
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.75 from 4 votes

    Tuscan White Bean Salad

    A super easy white bean salad flavored with Tuscan ingredients like olive oil, basil, dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers. It's a great potluck option since it stores so well and is almost better the next day.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Salads
    Cuisine: Italian
    Yield: 8 servings
    Author: Jami Boys

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups cooked white beans*
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 1/2 cup roasted red pepper chopped
    • 1/2 cup dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
    • 1/4 cup finely sliced fresh basil
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4 large cloves
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 cup grated Romano Parmesan, or Asiago cheese
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

    Instructions

    • Combine the beans, onion, pepper, dried tomatoes, basil, and garlic in a large bowl.
    • Mix the oil and vinegar until thoroughly combined. Pour over bean mixture, add half of the cheese and stir well. Add salt and pepper, tasting to adjust seasonings.
    • Transfer to a serving bowl and top with remaining cheese and a whole or chopped basil leaf, if you'd like.

    Notes

    *This equals about 3 cans of beans or 2 pints of freezer beans. If you would like to cook from dry, about 1 1/2 cups of dry beans would equal 4 cups.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.9g | Protein: 12.3g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 316mg | Fiber: 6.9g | Sugar: 1.6g
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

     

    More Easy Salads You May Like:

    Easy Heirloom Tomatoes and Feta Salad

    Easy Heirloom Tomatoes and Feta Salad

     

    Quick and Easy Chopped Salad

    Quick and Easy Chopped Salad

     

    Greek Style Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Green Beans - An Oregon Cottage

    Greek Style Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Green Beans

     

     

     

     

    Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn't change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.

    This recipe has been updated - it was originally published in 2009. Enjoy!

     

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Erin says

      May 03, 2020 at 7:34 am

      Do you know how far ahead this can be made? Will it keep several days? Thanks! I love bean salads!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        May 04, 2020 at 10:06 am

        Yes! We've had it for several days in the fridge - in fact it's a great camping recipe, I've made it in advance and it's good all the way through the trip.

        Reply
    2. Sydra Krueger says

      October 12, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      Hi Jami, not really about bean salad, as yummy as it sounds. But wondering how you house hunting chores are coming/going. It's been awhile;I'm sure you're ready to be getting on with life again.

      Reply
      • Jami says

        October 13, 2017 at 1:03 pm

        Ah, you are so right about wanting to 'get on with life again' Sydra - we'd LOVE that. 🙂 We are exploring continually and hopefully I will have news on that front soon!

        Reply
    3. Lisa says

      July 13, 2014 at 12:24 pm

      Delicious!!! I made this exactly EXCEPT I only had one can of white beans on hand. I made the salad to speck, kept it refrigerated until dinner time, then tossed it into a salad of baby spinach and romaine. It didn't need any more dressing and was delicious! Everyone loved it! Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Jami says

        July 14, 2014 at 9:45 am

        Love that idea, Lisa - I'll have to try that, it sounds like a perfect way to get some more greens in 😉

        Reply
    4. Brenda says

      December 29, 2012 at 9:02 am

      I will definitely try this recipe. A great looking/sounding budget friendly recipe.

      Reply
    5. Jenelle says

      October 02, 2009 at 2:22 am

      Jami,

      I finally got around to trying this salad. We had it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it! Thanks for the great idea. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says

      August 15, 2009 at 6:11 pm

      P. Homemaker-
      I just dry them in my electric dehydrator until there is no moisture, but they are still pliable. Then I put them in a jar, cover with olive oil (important that they always remain covered), and keep them on my shelf in the kitchen. No processing is necessary! You must not add any fresh things like garlic or herbs, though.
      Years ago our newspaper, The Oregonian, they ran this method for keeping dried tomatoes, so I know it is safe. I've done it for years with no problems. I've kept them for a year, sometimes a few months more, and the only difference is they darken the older they get. But still yummy!

      Reply
    7. The Mangerchine's says

      August 14, 2009 at 8:47 pm

      This looks delicious! I will definitely be trying it soon!

      Shannon

      Reply
    8. The Prudent Homemaker says

      August 14, 2009 at 5:59 am

      Jami,

      Do you dry your tomatoes and can them in oil?

      I have been looking all over for instuctions? I LOVE tomatoes like this and I have a ton in my garden.

      Reply
    9. Jenelle says

      August 12, 2009 at 8:38 pm

      Jami,
      Thank you for postng this recipe for me! We have a tight grocery budget so I am always looking for new/ interesting/ creative ways to make bean based dinners because they are so healthy AND budget friendly.

      We will try this one next week. 🙂

      Jenelle

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jami Boys headshot

    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. 

    Read More →

    Popular Posts

    • Easy, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Tutorial
    • Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Onion Dijon Sauce
    • Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
    • Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors
    • How To Freeze Green Beans The Easy Way Without Blanching
    • 5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn't One Of Them)

    ALL OUR CATEGORIES

    • Mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Terms of Use & Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaboration & Advertising

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer: All Content Provided On An Oregon Cottage Is For Informational Purposes Only. The Owner Of This Blog Makes No Representations As To The Accuracy Or Completeness Of Any Information On This Site Or Found By Following Any Link On This Site.

    Copyright © 2009-2023 An Oregon Cottage | No Content On This Site, Including Text And Photos, May Be Reused In Any Fashion Without Written Permission.