Marinated white beans with lots of veggies and savory sautéed garlic and cherry tomato are a versatile staple to have in the fridge. There are so many delicious ways to serve them. I have listed five of my favorite ways!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: lunch, Main Course, Salad
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

For the Beans

  • 15 ounce can white beans (such as cannellini, great northern, navy beans, or chickpeas, drained or [adjustable]1 1/2 cups[/adjustable] cooked)
  • 1/2-1 cup chopped red onion
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or use parsley)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

For the Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon or more ras el hanout, (baharat or shawarma spice blend, see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

For the Cherry Tomato Garlic Topping

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes

Method

Make the white bean salad.

  1. Chop the vegetables and herbs if you haven’t already, and add them to a bowl along with the white beans. Set aside.
  2. Zest the lemon for the dressing, then slice and juice it. Make the dressing by adding that plus all of the other dressing ingredients to a bowl. Mix well and taste, adjusting salt, tang with lemon juice or red wine vinegar, and heat with pepper flakes or black pepper, if needed.
  3. Add the dressing to the bean mixture and toss well.

Make the cherry tomato garlic topping.

  1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until it starts to turn golden. Add the cherry tomatoes and mix in, then increase the heat to medium-low and cook until the tomatoes soften slightly. When the tomatoes are almost ready, mix in the pepper flakes.
  2. I like to cook the tomatoes and garlic, because they get a little bit sweeter, which pairs really well with the marinated white beans, but if you don’t want to cook them, you can add them fresh, as well.
  3. Pour this mixture over the beans and mix lightly. You can also keep the topping separate and add it when serving for a punchier garlic flavor.

Serving Suggestions

  1. Serve with toasted sourdough or garlic bread, for scooping, or on top of crostini
  2. Pair them with hummus or my tofu ricotta or non-dairy yogurt by spreading the base on a plate, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper, then topping with the marinated beans, sesame seeds, or microgreens and serving with pita or sourdough. For added texture, toast breadcrumbs by heating 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, adding 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, and cooking until golden. Add sesame seeds and cook a few seconds more, then remove from heat. You can add in other flavors at this point, like garlic or Aleppo pepper flakes here, if you like. Sprinkle over the beans before serving.
  3. To serve with sweet potatoes, brush halved sweet potatoes with oil and roast them cut-side-down at 400° F (205° C) for about 35 minutes, or until tender. Flip, top with the marinated white beans, drizzle with non-dairy yogurt or tahini dressing, and add the breadcrumb mixture if desired.
  4. To make a salad, add chopped greens, such as spinach or arugula, to a bowl with the marinated beans and toss well. Whip up some more dressing to add, if needed, and top with croutons for crunch.
  5. You can also pair this with quinoa or cooked grains. Or you can serve as a part of mezze platter or a charcuterie board. It’s incredibly versatile!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.