This Greek Bean Salad is a fresh, fiber-rich meal inspired by the Mediterranean diet, made with simple ingredients and bright, healthy flavors.
For more healthy salads, check out our lucky black eyed pea salad, Mediterranean chopped lentil salad, dense chickpea sweet potato salad, and chickpea cucumber salad.
An Easy, Flavorful Way to Eat More Beans and Vegetables at Home
This Greek Bean Salad is the kind of recipe we come back to again and again when we want something fresh, filling, and easy to feel good about 🥗. It’s simple to make, full of color, and made with everyday ingredients you can find almost anywhere—even in winter.
At its heart, this is a Greek-inspired marinated bean salad, where tender white beans soak up a bright lemon dressing before being mixed with crisp vegetables, olives, and feta. That short marinating step makes a big difference. The flavors feel deeper, fresher, and more balanced, without any extra work.
Louise and I often make this Mediterranean bean salad for lunch and enjoy the leftovers for dinner alongside grilled protein, tzatziki, or warm pita bread 🌿. It’s fiber-rich and fits well into a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, built around olive oil, vegetables, and legumes.
It’s also ideal for make-ahead meals, relaxed lunches, or easy, no-stress dinners.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- White beans: butter beans or cannellini work best for a creamy bite. You can also use great northern beans, chickpeas, or cooked dried beans.
- Cucumber: adds crunch and freshness. Substitute with celery or fennel for a slightly sharper, more aromatic note.
- Cherry tomatoes: sweet and juicy, they keep the salad lively year-round. Grape tomatoes or chopped Roma tomatoes work well when in season.
- Green bell pepper: mild and crisp. Swap with red or yellow pepper for extra sweetness, or use finely diced zucchini if bell peppers are hard to digest.
- Red onion: brings bite and balance. Use shallot or green onion for a softer flavor. If red onion feels strong, soak the slices in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain.
- Olives: kalamata add depth, but black or green olives are great too and often more affordable. Use what you have.
- Feta cheese: salty and creamy, it ties everything together. Sheep’s milk feta, dairy-free feta, or lighter feta styles all work. You can also rinse feta briefly under cold water to reduce salt.
- Extra virgin olive oil: the base of the dressing and essential for Mediterranean flavor. No real substitute here.
- Lemon juice and zest: add brightness and lift. Red wine vinegar works in a pinch.
- Mustard and honey: balance the dressing with gentle sharpness and sweetness. Maple syrup or agave are good alternatives.
- Dried oregano: classic and aromatic. Swap with fresh parsley or dill for a softer finish.
How to Make Greek Bean Salad
1. Make the dressing
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
2. Marinate the beans
Add the drained and rinsed beans to the bowl. Toss gently so they are fully coated. Let them sit while you prep the vegetables. This quick rest is what turns it into a delicious marinated bean salad.
3. Prep the vegetables and add everything
Dice the cucumber and bell pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Thinly slice the red onion.
Add the vegetables, olives, and crumbled feta to a large mixing bowl. Pour over the marinated beans. This colorful mix is what makes it a fresh, satisfying healthy bean salad recipe.
4. Toss and serve
Toss gently until everything is evenly mixed. The feta will crumble a little, and that’s a good thing—it spreads flavor through every bite. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve right away.
Tips
- Let the beans sit in the dressing while you prep the vegetables. This short rest gives it a deeper, more rounded flavor and helps remove the canned taste.
- Drain the beans well and gently shake off excess water before adding them to the dressing. Too much moisture can water down the flavor.
- Cut the vegetables into small, even pieces. This makes every bite balanced and easier to eat.
- Taste the salad before serving and adjust the lemon juice or zest if needed. A little extra brightness can bring everything together.
- If you’re watching salt, rinse the beans very well and briefly rinse the feta under cold water. Add salt lightly at first, then adjust after mixing.
- This is a no mayo bean salad, so it holds up well at room temperature for short periods, making it great for picnics and potlucks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe works very well as a make-ahead meal. It may release a little liquid as it sits, but that’s normal. Just toss well before serving.
Great northern beans or chickpeas are good options. They hold their shape and work well in a Greek white bean salad style.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir gently before serving.
Yes. You can leave it out or use a dairy-free alternative. The salad will still be flavorful and satisfying.
Yes. Since it’s oil-based and not creamy, it travels well for lunches, picnics, and potlucks. Just use a well-sealed container so the dressing doesn’t leak.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Greek yogurt macaroni salad
- Mediterranean orange and fennel salad
- 3 bean pasta salad
- Healthy broccoli cauliflower salad
- Chopped chickpea salad
- Mediterranean quinoa salad
- Greek lentil salad
- Three bean salad
If you try this Greek Bean Salad Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Easy Greek Bean Salad with Marinated Beans
Ingredients
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon mustard Dijon or yellow
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt start light and adjust after mixing (feta is salty)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 can butter beans or cannellini beans – 15 oz / 400 g can – drained and rinsed or 1½ cup / 230 g cooked beans
- 1 small cucumber
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ green bell pepper finely diced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup olives pitted – halved if large
- ¾ cup feta cheese crumbled (best in brine)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, 1½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to a small bowl.Whisk until smooth.
- Marinate the beans: Add the 1 can butter beans (drained and rinsed) to the bowl. Toss gently so they are fully coated. Let them sit while you prep the vegetables.
- Prep the vegetables: Dice 1 small cucumber and ½ green bell pepper. Cut 2 cups cherry tomatoes in half. Thinly slice ½ red onion. Add all the vegetables, ½ cup olives, ¾ cup feta cheese, and the marinated beans to a large mixing bowl.
- Toss and serve: Toss gently until everything is evenly mixed. The feta will crumble a little, and that’s a good thing—it spreads flavor through every bite. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve right away.
Notes
- White beans → Butter beans or cannellini (best and creamiest), or use great northern beans, chickpeas, or cooked dried beans
- Cucumber → Celery or fennel for crunch with a sharper, more aromatic flavor
- Cherry tomatoes → Grape tomatoes or chopped Roma tomatoes
- Green bell pepper → Red or yellow pepper for more sweetness, or finely diced zucchini
- Red onion → Shallot or green onion for a milder taste (or soak red onion in cold water 5 minutes)
- Olives → Kalamata, black, or green olives—use whatever you have
- Feta cheese → Sheep’s milk feta, dairy-free feta, or lighter feta (rinse to reduce salt if needed)
- Extra virgin olive oil → No real substitute—this is essential
- Lemon juice & zest → Red wine vinegar in a pinch
- Mustard & honey → Maple syrup or agave
- Dried oregano → Fresh parsley or dill for a softer, fresher finish
- Let the beans sit in the dressing while you prep the veggies for better flavor.
- Drain beans very well so the salad doesn’t get watery.
- Cut veggies small and even so every bite tastes balanced.
- Taste before serving and add more lemon if it needs brightness.
- Add salt slowly, especially if using feta and olives.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
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Excellent!!
Looks healthy and delicious
Delicious, fresh and filling. I thoroughly enjoyed making and eating it. Next time, I’ll have it with delicious baked bread or maybe baked tofu.
Love the zestiness and freshness of this salad. Will be a repeat salad over summer as a side for bbqs or just a work lunch on its own. Yum!
Thumbs 👍
Sounds good. I’m a diabetic always looking for good beatable eating things
Thanks Teresa
Warm welcome, Teresa! I’m happy you like the salad. Thanks for cooking along with us 🙂
Best, Louise
Very tasty!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Tasha!