This 10-minute navy beans salad has a delicious Mediterranean flavor that makes it irresistible. It’s made with simple ingredients fresh parsley and English cucumber. No oven is needed, just toss the ingredients together to serve as a Thanksgiving side.
Growing up, we always ate navy beans in tomato gravy and then put on top of toast.
It made me hate them so much that I vowed never to eat it ever again!
But I decided that my hate for this tiny bean was unnatural and I should try to resolve it.
I wanted a simple recipe using pantry ingredients and where the beans were the star.
That’s how this Mediterranean Navy Bean Salad was born.
Tips for making it
- Use canned beans because it will be faster. But if you have the time, soak them overnight and pressure cook them the next day.
- Be sure to thoroughly drain the navy beans because the canned beans have a ton of salt.
- Assemble this salad in a large about 30 minutes before serving, giving the parsley time to work its magic. I love using this (Affiliate Link) large bowl for assembly.
- Use a firm tomato otherwise, it will make this salad very soggy. I used campari tomatoes, but you can use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Cut all the ingredients smaller than the navy beans to give it an “eating the rainbow” effect.
❓ Answering Common Questions
No, cannellini beans are just a little bit bigger than navy beans. Also, they are on the whiter side, whereas navy beans have a faint pink hue. Cannellini beans are also known as white kidney beans.
Great northern beans are bigger than navy beans and have a denser texture when cooked. Butter beans are even bigger than northern beans, but can work well in this recipe.
No, this salad cannot be frozen because it will become mushy and runny. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Use leftovers within 5 days.
Yes, you can use substitutions like:
– Fresh basil
– Italian parsley
– Fresh Oregano
– Mint leaves
– Dried spices are fine in a pinch, if you don’t have fresh herbs.
– Flavor with sumac or Za’atar.
No, no dressing is needed because the strong flavors of the ingredients work so well together. Topping it with fresh lemon juice brings it all together.
How to eat this salad
This salad is the perfect lunch all by itself. It’s a hearty meal, packed with vegan protein, vitamins, and fiber.
You can put it into a pita pocket and it will be the perfect on-the-run vegan lunch or for picnics by the lake! I have also had to make large quantities of this salad to take to potlucks because it gets eaten up in minutes.
This salad is also easy to put into meal prep recipes.
This salad can also be a part of a meal. It’s an easy dish to serve with Thanksgiving dinner like cauliflower steaks or vegan pot pie.
The combination of the sweetness of cranberries combined with the strong flavors of red onions and parsley makes this the perfect side dish for any recipe.
This salad has a cooling effect on your stomach because of the cucumber and parsley.
Other ingredients that can be added
- Green onions
- Veggies like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, and radishes.
- Vegan feta cheese or regular feta cheese.
- No more than one teaspoon of red wine vinegar.
So, tell me what food repulses you, and I will try to make it deliciously sexy!
Try these cranberry recipes
If you like navy beans, try them in vegan baked beans, peas and mushrooms, Ribollita, or in this pressure cooker couscous salad.
Sharing is caring
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Navy Beans Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can navy beans cooked
- 1/2 cucumber finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion finely chopped
- 1 Campari tomatoes cubed
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 3 sprigs curly parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Put navy beans in a strainer
- Run them under cold tap water for 45 seconds
- Place them on a tea towel and dry them completely. Put them in a bowl
- Add the finely chopped cucumber
- Add the finely chopped red onion
- Add the cubed Campari tomatoes
- Add the crushed garlic cloves
- Add the chopped parsley
- If using salt, add it now
- Add the extra virgin olive oil
- Add the black pepper
- Add the freshly squeezed lime juice
- Add the dried cranberries
- Mix Well and Serve
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for the recipe…I’m going to try it this week! How many tomatoes do you use? The recipe says ‘1 Campari tomatoes’.
Thank you, LuAnne. I used just one campari tomato which I diced. If you want more, I suggest not using more than 2.
I like your version of Cowboy Caviar. I’ll be giving it a try soon. I’m one of those folks that can’t eat Cilantro and was glad to see you used Parsley. I love the idea of stuffing it into a whole wheat Pita as a light but nutritious supper or lunch. I will use raisins as cranberries tend to have sugar added in my supermarket selection. Remember Navy Beans are not a complete protein source and must be paired with another protein to be complete.
Thank you, Barbara
I love navy beans!
What a hearty salad!
Yum, this is my kind of side dish!!
Thank you, Megan
This looks so good! I love how filling bean salad is!
Thank you, Erin
Such a pretty salad!!
Thank you, Angela
Love this salad!!
Thank you, Jocelyn
I am not sure if I ever tried a navy bean. This salad looks so good I will have to go find some now :-).
Thank you, Sandi!
Followed a link for this recipe from another site (Fitmeals on reddit.com) and am now your newest fan. I made the salad as written and it was delicious. The next time I ad libbed a bit (as is so fun to do in the kitchen) and added some cilantro along with the parsley. I was out of dried cranberries but had a package of dried blue berries and cranberries. So much flavor and so satisfying to eat.
Thank you so much, Margaret!! It always warms my heart to hear from people who have adapted my recipe and added ingredients that I didn’t think of adding. Your idea of cilantro sounds very delicious and I am definitely adding it next time. The dried blueberries are exactly what this recipe needs, so, that will also be included the next time I make it. You are awesome, Margaret.
I love beans and even more, I love the idea of making them into a fresh salad like this. I am making stuff like this more and more lately, just printed! Thanks!
Thank you, Lizzy. So happy to hear that you are love beans. They are not an easy item to like. I think you will really like this recipe.
What a lovely summer salad. Perfect for picnics and BBQs!
Thank you, Linda. Yes, I intend to take it to my weekend 4th BBQs this weekend.
I love this salad. Glad you confronted the navy bean. It’s one of my favorites. Love the addition of sweetness in the cranberry that’s been infused with pomegranate. I’ve not seen those, but I must find them.
Thank you, Michelle. I find myself addicted to those pomegranate infused dried cranberries. It makes everything so much better
I don’t think I’ve ever had navy beans. But if I were to try them it would be in a dish like this one. It looks so fresh and delicious. perfect for the summer.
Thank you, Christine. It is so perfect for those hot summer days. The parsley has a soothing effect
Healthy and easy my fave kind of salad. Check out our meatless Monday link up
Thank you, Deborah. I will definitely check it out.
I’m glad you got over your aversion of Navy beans because this salad looks absolutely delicious! I love all beans so this salad looks right up my alley 😉
Thank you, sarah
This looks so good! Love the creaminess from the beans and all of that good veggie crunch!
Thank you, Debra. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor they brought to the salad. Navy beans are not as bad I remember them to be.