Marinated White Beans
These marinated white beans are a dream for meal prep and lazy lunches in hot weather when the last thing you want to do is cook! They're packed with bright Mediterranean flavors and made with minimal effort - just toss together buttery white beans, briny olives, roasted red peppers, fresh herbs, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette, and let the magic happen.
Letting them marinate gives you a dish that only gets better over time, so make enough to have leftovers! Serve them with crusty bread, crackers, or spooned onto toast for a satisfying, protein-packed bite.
These marinated white beans also pair great with hummus or a white bean dip for double the beans. More no-cook delicious salads to try include this simple lentil salad or this classic Greek salad with chickpeas.
Ingredient Notes
The exact quantities of the ingredients you need are included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here's a quick overview with a few useful tips:
- Butter Beans: Also known as lima beans, their creamy texture makes them perfect for soaking up the marinade. You could also use cannellini or gigante beans.
- Red Onion: Sliced thinly so it doesn't overpower the other ingredients. You can also marinate it separately in lemon juice before mixing it with the other ingredients to mellow it out.
- Green Olives & Sun-dried Tomatoes: Bring salt, tang, and rich umami to the mildness of the beans. Chop these finely so every bite is packed with flavor.
- Roasted Red Peppers: You can use jarred or roast your own (see tips below!). I like using the small picante peppers for a touch of sweetness.
- Fresh Parsley: A generous handful adds brightness and freshness, but won't turn limp like adding other greens would.
Dressing Notes
- A simple red wine vinegar and olive oil base, punched up with minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, is perfect for this dish. You don't need anything too fancy.
- Add more chili flakes or swap for Aleppo pepper if you like a touch of heat.
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap butter beans for chickpeas or lentils for a similar dish with a slightly different vibe.
- Add crumbled feta or toasted pine nuts for extra richness.
- Use basil or dill instead of (or alongside) parsley.
How To Make Marinated White Beans
The full instructions and quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom, but here's a step-by-step overview:
1. Prep & Chop Ingredients
Drain and rinse the butter beans. Finely slice the red onion and chop the olives, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley.
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, along with the lemon zest and juice.
2. Make Dressing
In a small bowl or jar, mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the beans and mix well. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or vinegar as needed.
3. Marinate
Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes (or overnight) in the fridge for the flavors to deepen.
Top Tips / Chef's Notes
- Roasting Peppers at Home: Slice whole red peppers in half, remove seeds, place cut-side down on a tray, and roast at 220C (425F) for 20-25 minutes until charred. Let them steam in a covered bowl for 5-10 minutes before peeling. I tend to use jarred roasted red peppers for convenience!
- Short on Time? It's still delicious freshly made, but 10 minutes in the fridge makes a big difference to give the beans and other ingredients that delicious marinated flavor.
- Use Quality Olive Oil: This is a raw dressing - use your best olive oil for the most flavorful result.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. These beans get better with time as they marinate, so feel free to make a big batch for the week ahead.
FAQs
Can I use a different kind of bean?
Yes! Cannellini, chickpeas, or gigante beans all work well.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Definitely - in fact, it's better the next day! Let it marinate in the fridge overnight if you can.
Can I add protein or make this a full meal?
Yes - top with grilled halloumi, tofu, or boiled eggs. Or serve over quinoa for a balanced meal.
Marinated White Beans
Ingredients
- 14 oz drained butter beans rinsed
- ½ red onion finely sliced
- ⅓ cup green olives chopped
- ⅓ cup roasted red peppers chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Method
- Chop your ingredients and drain and rinse the butter beans.
- Add the butter beans, sliced red onion, green olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley to a bowl.14 oz drained butter beans, ½ red onion, ⅓ cup green olives, ⅓ cup roasted red peppers, ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, ⅓ cup fresh parsley
- Add the lemon juice and zest.½ lemon
- In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the beans. Mix to combine all of the ingredients.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Salt and pepper to taste, 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- If you have time, pop the marinated beans in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (or even overnight) to let the flavors really meld together.
Sounds yummy.
Thank you, enjoy! ☺️
Can you use canned beans or frozen ones
Canned for sure! I haven’t used frozen before
I use lemon juice in place of the vinegar. And, I add a can of white albacore tuna
(or sometimes a can of chicken) along with 8-10 halved grape tomatoes.
@Kim, sound like good additions!
Lima beans are not the same as butter beans. The former are coarse, not buttery.
They’re the same
Just Got Done Making This ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS 🤤 Salad for a Side Dish for Our 4th of July BBQ Today. Super Yummy 😋
Thank You for Sharing this Recipe!
So glad to hear this!!
Please let me know where to buy
Sun dried tomatoes
Most bigger shops you can get them jarred or sometimes fresh!
Delicious recipe, thank you so much for sharing 😊
Not sure why Bytheforkful is giving you the snarky back talk, Christopher. Saying Lima beans and butter beans are the same, doesn’t make them the same. They are SO NOT the same.
There is no difference between lima beans and butter beans. They are the same bean, known by different names depending on the region and sometimes maturity stage. Younger, greener lima beans are sometimes called "baby limas" while older, larger, and cream-colored ones are often called "butter beans".
This recipe is awesome! It's very fast to make, uses mostly pantry staples, has bold flavors and holds up great in the fridge. This will become a regular for me for sure! The only change I made was use cannellini beans instead of butter beans.
Delicious and it takes no time at all to make!