Greek Bean Salad Lemon Marinated (Printable)

Colorful bean medley with zesty lemon-oregano dressing, fresh vegetables, and creamy feta.

# What You Need:

→ Beans & Marinade

01 - 3 (15-ounce) cans mixed beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini), drained and rinsed
02 - Juice and zest of 2 lemons
03 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano or 1.5 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
06 - 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
07 - 0.75 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
08 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Salad

09 - 1 small English cucumber, seeded and diced
10 - 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
11 - 0.5 medium red onion, thinly sliced
12 - 0.5 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
13 - 0.25 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (optional, but recommended)
15 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
16 - 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat the drained beans dry with paper towels and transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, honey, 0.75 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until well combined. Pour the lemon-oregano marinade over beans and gently fold until every bean is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for maximum flavor development.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine diced cucumber, halved tomatoes, sliced red onion, halved olives, parsley, and dill. Taste the marinated beans and adjust salt and pepper if needed, reserving any excess marinade.
03 - Add the marinated beans to the vegetable mixture. Drizzle the reserved bean marinade and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables. Toss gently to combine, being careful not to crush the beans or tomatoes.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top and give the salad one final gentle toss to distribute the cheese evenly. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The beans soak up lemon and oregano like little flavor sponges, giving you that punchy Mediterranean taste in every bite.
  • It actually gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and let the fridge do the work for you.
  • Theres no cooking involved beyond opening cans and chopping vegetables, which means you stay cool and your kitchen stays clean.
02 -
  • Skipping the bean marinade time means youll end up with bland beans swimming in flavorful vegetables, let them soak up that lemon for at least an hour.
  • If you add the feta too early and toss it too hard, it will crumble into tiny bits and disappear, save it for the very end and fold it in gently.
03 -
  • Marinate the beans overnight for the deepest flavor, theyll taste like theyve been slow-cooking in sunshine and herbs.
  • Use block feta and crumble it yourself, the pre-crumbled stuff is drier and doesnt have that creamy, tangy punch.
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