This simple white bean caprese salad is a delicious take on the traditional Italian caprese salad. Tomatoes, basil and mozzarella are mixed with white cannellini beans to make a flavour and protein packed salad that takes less than 10 minutes to make.
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Why we love this recipe
- Ready in minutes – whip this beautiful summer salad up in under 10 minutes.
- Healthy and delicious.
- Great for lunchboxes and meal prep – this white bean salad can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days, or if you want a school lunchbox way of serving the Caprese salad, these Caprese empanadas are just the thing!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- White beans – cannellini beans. You can substitute butter beans, or even chickpeas.
- Tomatoes – for this recipe I have made the caprese salad with cherry tomatoes, although you can easily make it with regular tomatoes, sliced or cut in to chunks.
- Basil – fresh basil leaves do make this salad, but if you don’t have any, have a look at these substitutes for basil.
- Mozzarella – I like to use bocconcini, also known as mozzarella pearls, but you can use fresh mozzarella instead and tear it in to bitesize pieces.
- Olive oil – a good EVOO or the best quality olive oil you can buy will transform this salad. It is the only dressing ingredient, so you want to enjoy the flavour of it.
How to make this summer salad from scratch
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Chop the tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
- Mix the chopped tomatoes with the drained cannellini beans, and bocconcini.
- Drizzle over the olive oil, add the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper.
FAQ
What can I substitute for basil in caprese salad?
Fresh oregano would be a delicious substitute for basil in caprese salad.
Are cannellini beans the same as white beans?
Yes they are. Cannellini is the Italian name for them, and they are also known as white kidney beans, fazolia beans or white beans.
Should you rinse cannellini beans?
You don’t have to rinse cannellini beans, however the liquid they are in does contain salt, so if you want to watch your salt intake, or season to taste, I’d recommend rinsing them and draining them before adding to your salad or white bean dish.
My recipe tips
- Use in-season tomatoes for the best flavour, and make sure they are room temperature as they will be much more flavoursome than if they are straight out of the fridge.
- Don’t be afraid to add a reasonable amount of salt – this really helps bring out the flavour from the tomatoes.
- Use a good olive oil – it’s the only dressing for the salad, and will help make the best caprese salad.
Serving Ideas
This cannellini bean salad is a delicious meal in itself, maybe with a slice of soft bread on the side, but it would also be a tasty addition to:
- lunchboxes
- barbecues
- pot lucks/ Jacob’s join
- picnics
Make ahead/storage
This salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Best eaten up to 2 days.
Ideas for leftover salad ingredients
- tomatoes – mix them with peppers (capsicum), onion and parsley in this refreshing Turkish pepper salad, Ezme, or make a mango salsa, or Turkish bulgar salad with mint and parsley.
- basil – pesto, sprinkle over homemade pizza or Italian tomato pasta
- mozzarella – make a simple pizza with homemade pizza dough, or this refreshing watermelon salad
Why not try…
You may also like these other family friendly bean recipes:
White Bean Caprese Salad
Author: Robyn
This healthy white bean caprese salad with tomatoes, basil and cannellini beans is fresh and delicious, and perfect in lunchboxes
Ingredients
- 420g (14oz) Tin/can cannellini beans ($1.70 / £0.60)
- 250g (8oz) cherry tomatoes ($3.90 / £0.62)
- 125g (4oz) cherry bocconcini (mozzarella pearls) ($2.25 / £1.75)
- ¼ bunch ¼ c fresh basil ($0.80 / £0.15)
- 2 tablespoons EVOO ($0.32/ £0.16)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or kosher salt ($0.01 / £0.01)
- fresh black pepper ($0.02 / £0.01)
Instructions
- Make sure your mozzarella and tomatoes are at room temperature before you begin.
- Chop the tomatoes into halves or quarters and mix with the cannellini beans and bocconcini.
- Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle in the fresh basil and season with salt and black pepper.
Notes
Estimated costs: Australia $9.00. Per serve = $2.25
UK £3.30. Per serve = £0.83
America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please contact me and I’ll get calculating 🙂
serves 4 as a side, 2 as a lunch/lunchbox
White beans – cannellini beans. You can substitute butter beans, or even chickpeas.
Tomatoes – for this recipe I have made the caprese salad with cherry tomatoes, although you can easily make it with regular tomatoes, sliced or cut in to chunks. Fresh tomatoes are the key to maximum flavour!
Basil – fresh basil leaves are a must for this salad!
Mozzarella – I like to use bocconcini, also known as mozzarella pearls, but you can use fresh mozzarella instead and tear it in to bitesize pieces.
Olive oil – a good EVOO or the best quality olive oil you can buy will transform this salad. It is the only dressing ingredient, so you want to enjoy the flavour of it.
Be liberal with the salt – this really brings out the flavour of the tomatoes
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 12gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 546mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 385IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 184mgIron: 3mg
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