White Bean Tabbouleh Salad is all the herby freshness of Tabbouleh, with the bulgur switched for white beans to make a more substantial salad.ย Itโs a fresh, lemony, herby bean salad thatโs totally delicious and good for you.
An excellent starch + veg side dish, or light meal for warm days. Plus itโs alot more interesting than the run-of-the-mill bean salads around!
White Bean Tabbouleh Salad
I donโt know if you have people in your life like me who donโt exactly jump up and down at the mention of a bean salad.
But throw the word โTabboulehโ in there, and suddenly, it sounds a whole lot more interesting. Visions of lots of fresh parsley, hint of mint, dotted with tomato and cucumber, and that distinct lemony freshness.
Donโt worry. I didnโt just throw the word โTabboulehโ into the name. I actually threw all the flavours of Tabbouleh in there too!!
Ingredients in white bean salad
The ingredients in this bean salad are literally everything that you find in Tabbouleh, except Iโve switched the bulgur for white beans:
Parsley โ the key ingredient in this dish, the reason why tabbouleh is the first thing most people think of when the parsley is growing wild in the garden!
Mint โ an essential part of a truly great fresh Tabbouleh! Itโs a subtle background flavour, some people canโt actually pick that itโs in the salad. But without it, youโre missing a hint of freshness;
Tomatoes and cucumber โย though in real Tabbouleh, these are a secondary ingredient, here in this bean salad version, I scale the quantities up to increase the fresh / juicy factor;
Beans โย Iโve used cannellini beans here, simply because itโs the canned beans I always, always have in the pantry. But any beans will work a treat here โ white or any other colour, fresh or cooked dried! (Notes in the recipe for cooking dried beans)
Remember that beans are good for you??
One of the most underrated foods in the world! Said to be the worldโs best source of plant based protein, beans provideย dietary fibre, Vitamin B, and other important vitamins and minerals. Research shows that they can help to reduce blood sugar andย improve cholesterol levels. Plus, itโs a low glycemic foodย (โGIโ) which means it will keep you full for longer.
We should all eat more beans!!
Lemon Dressing for White Bean Tabbouleh Salad
And hereโs what goes in my go-to Lemon Dressing which has made an appearance in many main course and side salad recipes Iโve shared over the years, including the recentย Brown Rice Salad:
Ordinarily, Tabbouleh is soaked in lemon juice then a touch of olive oil is later added to take the sharp edge off the lemon.
But for this recipe, Iโm making a proper Lemon Dressing for this recipe because I want the dressing to be thicker so itย clings to the white beans. In order to achieve this, the Dressing needs to be properly thickened by shaking it vigorously in a jar, plus I also addย a touch of Dijon Mustard which thickens it even more.
How to make White Bean Tabbouleh Salad
Shake up the Dressing in a jar, lots of chopping and toss, toss, toss!
What to serve with Tabbouleh White Bean Salad
This would be a great side dish OR stuffed into wraps for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes that traditionally include or are perfectly paired with Tabbouleh, such as Greek Chicken Gyros. Here are some more suggestions:
But thereโs no need to stop there! While this Bean Salad will go with any protein, I think the freshness makes it ideal to pair with white meats (chicken, turkey, lean pork) or any seafood. Try it with a grilled marinated chicken breastย or a piece of Grilled Salmon. Garlic Prawns orย CRISPY Grilled Prawns or some Lemon Garlic Marinated Pork Chops.
For a quick meal, gently fold through some chunks of tuna (preferably in oil, not spring water), top with slices of the juiciest ever Poached Chicken Breastย or hard boiled egg (quartered or sliced).
Also, it makes a great stuffing for a wrap โ youโll see me in the video smearing a piece of flatbread with hummus, piling on this Bean Salad then rolling it up. YUM! โ Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Tabbouleh White Bean Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 800g / 24 oz (2 cans) white beans (like cannellini, navy/haricot, butter beans) , drained (Note 1 & 3)
- 4 tomatoes , cut into 1.25cm / 1/2" pieces
- 3 cucumbers (or 1 1/2 long English/Telegraph cucumbers), cut into 1.25cm / 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 red onion , finely chopped
- 1 cup parsley , roughly chopped (1 large bunch)
- 1/3 cup mint , roughly chopped
Lemon Dressing:
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , small, minced using garlic press
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp salt , kosher/cooking salt (1/4 tsp table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.
- Place Salad ingredients in a big bowl. Drizzle over most of the Dressing, toss well.
- Transfer to serving bowl. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
- 1 can = 1 3/4 cups beans once drained
- Recipe calls for 2 cans = 3 1/2 cups beans
- 1 cup dried beans = 2 3/4 cups cooked
- So you will need approx 1 1/4 cups dried beans (1.25 x 2.75 = ~3.5 cups cooked beans)
Nutrition Information:
More mean bean recipes
Life of Dozer
Donโt think for a second that heโs taking a pause in his hectic schedule to stop and smell the roses. Nope. I just made a subtle gesture that indicated there might be something tasty in that vicinity, and he shoved his nose right in there to check.
He came up empty. ๐
Thank you very much for this recipe. I had plenty of parsely in my backyard garden and wanted to use it up before it get old. I made quinoa tabbouleh a lot and I am getting tired of it. I saw your white bean version and I am pleasantly surprised. It was so good. I am printing the recipe to keep in my favorite recipe book. Now, I have to research your other recipes.
This salad is sooo good Nagi. Easy to make and it was loved by all. My son had the leftovers for breakfast, good sign that he loved it.
Will be making it a lot in the future warmer months.
Thatโs mean / playing Tricks on Dozera, but he looks Fan, just beautiful. YUMI salad , thank YOU. Please be good.
Made this. SO GOOD. My husband wants that to be the only dressing we use from now on!
really great โ I think the dressing is really good. thank you for the recipe
WOW. Hi Nagi. Your salad really grabbed my attention. Made it tonight. Yummy. As I read through your post I also made your lamb Koftas with yogurt sauce and your no yeast flatbread. I make my own yogurt and with the exception of using yogurt whey in place of milk in the flatbreadsโฆfollowed the recipes to a tee. Awesome. Thank you so much.
Any suggestions of what to use in place of cucumbers? Allergies ๐
Hi Irene, you can just leave them out if you prefer or add some capsicum! N x
Thanks Nagi ๐
Kids just made your browniesโฆ๐
It was very tasty.
Thanks Shifa!! N x
I made the chicken curry yesterdayโฆ.absolutely delicious but rather hot. Will tone down the curry powder next time. Pam
Iโm so glad you loved it Pam โ different brands of curry powder have different heat levels too, can I ask which brand you used? N x
Just finished making this recipe! Had everything I needed either in the fridge or garden ๐ Will be a summer go to. So easy to make & couldnโt be any fresher.
Perfect Shelly, thatโs great to hear!! N x
I made this for lunch today. Delicious!!! Will be making this salad for work lunches.
Iโm so happy you enjoyed it Lisa โ perfect for lunch with a side of rotisserie chook โ it couldnโt be any easier! N x
You can so call this whatever youโd like. Itโs your blog and you are the boss lady, maybe Dozer is on an occasional day lol. It can be a staple for sure, especially in this hot hot weather. I canโt wait to try, and look forward to making this dressing w fresh lemons from my sisterโs tree.
I always wonder what could possibly make someone post any critical post in an obviously positive encouraging community. We just so need to encourage one another not tear one another down. Iโm sure we all appreciate you much more than youโll ever know Nagi, and Dozer too. So thank you for all that you do here. It sure has helped me immensely this last 6 months or so which have been some challenging times out here for sure. Iโve been so blessed beyond words.
Hi Macy, thereโs always keyboard warriors โ it comes with the territory but I just brush it off! I never take things to heart โ everyone has their own opinions!!
Thank you so much for the kind words and feedback, comments like this make it all worth while and put a smile on my face โค๏ธ N x
Healthy, easy, fresh tasting and very accessible ingredients !!!!
Thank you Nagi, itโs just the kind of recipe my daughter and I love !!!!!!
Thatโs great to hear Angela, thanks so much for the great feedback!! N x
What a great idea w tuna or chicken. This looks so light and refreshing in this incredibly hot week in California. 100 degrees F today.
P.s. I never noticed it before you mentioned Dozerโs โcrimpedโ look. But now I really see it lol. He was born stylin๐
Hi Macy โ it would be good with any protein in my opinion! Even steak or tofu!! And once you see the crimped ears you wonโt be able to unseen them ๐ N x
With a boiled egg and tuna what a perfect hot weather dish. The images are making me drool ๐!
Yes 100% Deanna!!! N x
Tonights dinner sorted! Your recipe uses flat-leaf parsley. Curious โ what is your view on flat-leaf vs curly parsley & which is better to use whenโฆ
Thanks ๐
Hi Kathy, You could really use either here โ itโs just personal preference! Flat leave has a better flavour in my opinion โ I always associate curly parsley as retro garnish on restaurant plates! ๐
Hi Nagi ,just love all your recipes,this one will be made this weekend ,with a bbqโฆI just LOVE Dozer he is so gorgeous.
Perfect Pam โ a side of grilled meat and youโll have one fantastic meal! N x
This sounds great. Gonna make it for sure.
I hope you do Norma, Iโd love to know what you think!! N x
Nagi you are the best I love your recipies
Thanks so much Peter!
Why not just call it a bean salad instead of appropriating a staple dish and ruining it like this? Beans and cucumbers do not belong in a tabboule.
Itโs just a fun name so people that is an indicator of what it tastes like. I donโt think you need to be rude about it. โ Nagi
As a Lebanese Australian, Iโm proud you called it tabouleh!!! And youโre right Nagi, it helps us understand the underlying flavours so we will know whether the flavours suit our palate.
Michelle, are you sure youโre not actually Karen? Because you need to sit down and chill out ๐