Smashed white bean salad comes together in about 10 minutes. It features sweet red bell pepper, briny Kalamata olives, and fresh dill, all tossed in a lemony Dijon dressing.
While I often turn to garbanzo beans to make vegan tuna-style salad or chicken-style curried chickpea salad, white beans have a few advantages. First, they're easy to smash with a potato masher or fork, with no need for a food processor. Second, since they're naturally creamy, you can skip the mayo.
Enjoy this salad tucked into a sandwich, smeared on toast, or scooped onto greens for a deli-style lunch. It's also great for meal prep since it holds up for several days in the refrigerator.
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A very tasty twist on chickpea salad (and I love white beans more)! I used celery in place of red pepper, sliced black olives, and navy beans. For the dressing, since I don't like the taste of oil, I used 2 Tbsp. mayo and 2 Tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt, regular mustard, and added some dried dill and garlic powder. My hubby and I both really enjoyed this; he made a sandwich, and I used mine as a dip for celery sticks. Love the dill and lemon together, as well as the texture of the beans. I'll definitely make this one again; thank you so much for the recipe.
- Rene
Ingredients
- White beans: Look for canned beans labeled cannellini, white kidney beans, or great northern beans.
- Kalamata olives: These briny purple olives add bold flavor. They're often sold whole or sliced. If using whole olives, simply slice or roughly chop them before adding to the salad. If Kalamata olives aren't available, another variety of olives can be substituted.
- Fresh dill: Chop the feathery fronds and discard the thick stems. Fresh dill adds a bright, herby flavor that pairs nicely with the lemon and olives.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice gives the dressing its bright flavor. Bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch, but fresh is best.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make smashed white bean salad
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, smash the white beans with a potato masher or fork. Leave some of the beans intact for texture.
- Add the diced red bell pepper, sliced olives, chopped dill, and dressing to the beans.
- Mix well to combine. Enjoy right away or refrigerate for later.
Have extra white beans and Kalamata olives on hand? Try my white bean tomato pasta with olives next.
Made this recipe or have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 For even more recipes, join the Veggies Save The Day community. It's less like a newsletter and more like emails between friends.
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
No-Mayo Smashed White Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 2-15 ounce cans white beans, (cannellini, great northern beans, or navy beans) rinsed and drained (3 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, salt and pepper
- Place the rinsed and drained beans in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to break them up, leaving some of the beans intact for texture.2-15 ounce cans white beans
- Add the diced red bell pepper, sliced, olives, chopped dill, and the dressing to the beans.1 red bell pepper, ½ cup Kalamata olives, 2 Tablespoons fresh dill
- Mix well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Enjoy right away or refrigerate for later.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation.
Rene says
A very tasty twist on chickpea salad (and I love white beans more)! I used celery in place of red pepper, sliced black olives, and navy beans. For the dressing, since I don't like the taste of oil, I used 2 Tbsp. mayo and 2 Tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt, regular mustard, and added some dried dill and garlic powder. My hubby and I both really enjoyed this; he made a sandwich, and I used mine as a dip for celery sticks. Love the dill and lemon together, as well as the texture of the beans. I'll definitely make this one again; thank you so much for the recipe.
Amy Katz says
Fantastic! The olives, dill, and lemon really make this salad, in my opinion. I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
Laura says
Will be making this today. After the cold snowy winter we had, this is a great way to celebrate the warmer weather!
Amy Katz says
Yay! I can't wait to hear what you think, Laura. 🙂