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This Tuscan bean salad is so flavorful and refreshing, you won’t be able to get enough of it! Funny enough, my inspiration for this recipe came from a free sample at Costco. It was one of the few, or possibly the only thing I’ve ever sampled and loved so much I absolutely had to buy it. Unfortunately, my obsession was short lived considering once I got home and started diving into the giant tub I’d purchased, I realized it was totally caked with oil and it only took a few bites before I was sick of it. So, I took a look at the ingredients and thought I’d try to make my own version, minus all the excess oil and preservatives. With a few tweaks, I officially recreated that mouthwatering flavor and this recipe has quickly become a favorite in my household.
Below is a step-by-step guide to making this Italian bean salad, with a full recipe summary and measurements at the bottom of the page.
Here’s an informational list of the ingredients you’ll need to prepare this salad:
- Chickpeas and Cannellini beans: Legumes are packed with protein and fiber as well as other essential vitamins to fight against illness and disease. When eating a plant-based diet, it’s very important to ensure you are meeting your daily protein requirements. According to the CDC, your daily protein intake should make up approximately 16% of the calories you consume. Since beans contain roughly 8 grams of protein per one half cup serving, consuming them on a daily basis is a great way to ensure your meeting those needs.
- Barley: This wonderful grain has many benefits and is an excellent contributor to health. It’s a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals like phosphorus, calcium, copper, and zinc. This makes barley great for your digestive system, heart health, bone health, and protection against oxidative stress.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Tomatoes are a fantastic source of nutrients and contribute to a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease by lowering cholesterol and boosting the immune system.
- Red and green bell peppers: Some major health benefits of bell peppers are their high concentration of vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamins A, C, B6, K, and E, and potassium and fiber.
- Green onions: Just like any other onion, green onions are rich in nutrients like quercetin, that boost your immune system and that help to fight against cancer, reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol and heart health.
- Fresh basil: This medicinal herb has a long list of benefits and has strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and zinc and supports heart and bone health, as well as digestive health and overall immune support.
- Lemon juice: An essential element to this dish to add a bit of acidity and brighten the flavors. Citrus juice is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, and also contains antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it’s a great contributor to the health and function of our immune system.
- Olive oil: While I do try to limit my oil intake, I so think it’s a necessary ingredient in this recipe. There seems to be a lot of controversy regarding the health benefits and of certain vegetable oils. Here’s my take: While some certainly contain healthier fats than others, too much oil is bad for our health, regardless of what type. Since oil is basically concentrated fat, it can be very easy to overconsume, which can lead to excess body fat and increased health issues. Nuts and seeds are the best way to achieve a healthy fat intake without consuming too many calories.
- White wine vinegar: Like other vinegars, white wine vinegar is a good source of antioxidants and minerals, particularly acetic acid, and has strong antimicrobial effects and can help regulate digestion and blood sugar.
- Italian seasoning, salt, pepper: According to NutritonFacts.org, spices offer a wide range of benefits and are known to improve health issues such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and they can even be mood boosters! Therefore, it’s important to include at least a small amount of herbs and spices in your daily diet.
Pro tip: I always try to buy my produce and herbs from the local farmer’s market because the quality of flavor makes a huge difference! Plus I love to support my community and the environment, and you can’t beat the piece of mind of knowing exactly where your food comes from. I encourage you to check out your local farms (if you haven’t already) and see what they have to offer!
Step 1: Cook barley
Rinse the dry barley and cook it according to the package instructions. Make sure to a add a pinch of salt to your pot of water to infuse the flavor.
Step 2: Chop veggies
While your barley is cooking, go ahead and get those veggies chopped! You’ll want to finely dice the bell peppers, slice up the green onions, chop the basil, and chop up the sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Step 3: Combine
Once the barley is cooked, allow it time to cool down to room temperature, then add it to a large bowl and combine it with all the other ingredients, including those chopped veggies, oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and seasonings. Mix well.
As you can see, this recipe is very easy to make and it’s a fantastic option for meal prep. When stored in an airtight container, this Tuscan bean salad will last in fridge for up to a week and will only become more flavorful as it sits! If you try this recipe and enjoy it, share it with a friend and comment down below. I always love to hear your feedback!
Tuscan Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry barley rinsed and cooked
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 3-4 green onions sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Rinse dry barley and cook according to package instructions. Make sure to add a pinch of salt to the pot of water to boost the flavor.
- Once it's done cooking, allow the barley to cool to room temperature. Then, add it to a large bowl along with all other ingredients and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The flavor will only get better as it sits.
