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White and blue platter holds Tuscan white bean salad with tomatoes, beans, red onion, and fennel and parsley.

Tuscan Bean Salad

Tuscan white bean salad is a cold, non-cook, mayonnaise free salad flavored with herbs, vegetables like tomatoes and fennel and dressed in a simple Italian vinaigrette of olive oil and red wine vinegar.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans
  • ½ red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut into halves or quarters
  • ½ cup parsley chopped
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 bulb fennel thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Thinly slice the red onion and cover with the ¼ cup red wine vinegar in a small bowl for about 5 minutes. If you prefer the crunch and sharp taste of raw onion, skip this step.
  • Drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans. Alternatively, measure out your homemade white beans, draining them of any liquid.
  • Chop the tomatoes, fennel and parsley. Add to a large bowl with the cannellini beans.
  • Drain the red onion or add it raw to the Tuscan bean salad mixture.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the dressing to the white beans and gently toss. Test for seasoning (you may need to add more salt depending on the type of canned white beans you used) and serve.

Notes

Tuscan White Bean Salad Substitutions
Think of this Tuscan white bean salad recipe as a formula or platform with ratios to add whatever vegetables you prefer or have on hand, including these possible options:
  • Substitute any kind of spring white onion for red onion.
  • For a lemony twist, substitute lemon juice for the red wine vinegar, adding the zest of the lemon to the dressing.
  • Substitute cherry tomatoes with roasted vegetables of your choice including spring asparagus, red bell peppers, cauliflower or squash. 
  • If you don’t like cannellini beans, you can substitute chickpeas or Navy beans for a similar, no-cook Tuscan bean salad.
 
Tuscan White Bean Salad Variations
If you like this recipe and would like to use it as a base for creativity, consider (but don’t limit yourself to) these variations:
  • If you feel like using a store-bought salad dressing, you can absolutely add that as well, just as long as it’s dairy free, which keeps this white bean salad recipe safe for picnics and potlucks. 
  • Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to the olive oil dressing.
  • Add ½ cup crumbled feta or other hearty cheese like goat cheese for a creamy finish right before serving. 
  • Toss in 1-2 cups baby arugula or spinach leaves right before serving. 
Keyword authentic, beans, Tuscan
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