This bean salad is marinated in a white balsamic and date dressing that adds an irresistible sweet and savory heat that’ll make you excited to get your fiber in.
Why You’ll Love This Marinated White Balsamic & Date Bean Salad
- Develops more flavor over time. This salad keeps well and develops more flavor the longer it marinates in the dressing making it perfect for meal prep.
- A great way to help meet your fiber needs. Beans are an excellent source of fiber and regular consumption has been associated with improved health outcomes. In a 2021 study, eating 2 1/2 or more servings of legumes per week helped reduce all-cause mortality by 17% and reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer incidence and cancer mortality. (Source).
- Easy to customize. Bean salads are great because they are versatile. Not a fan of a specific vegetable? Swap for another. Not a fan of heat, use less or omit entirely. This is a have it your way kind of food.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans: I went with my go to combo of white beans and chickpeas, but feel free to swap either option with more of the same or red kidney beans.
- Corn: Fresh in season corn is the best, but a great alternative is frozen fire roasted corn.
- Dates: Alternatives for the salad base that work include golden raisins or some diced apricots. For the dressing, swap the dates for 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup (or to taste). Use what is most accessible to you.
- Peppers: I used two types of peppers, spicy fresno peppers and some jarred fire-roasted bell peppers.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I like to use the variety that is already julienned and packed in a jar of oil. Just drain and add directly to your mixing bowl.
- Shallots: Red onion can work here too.
- Spring Onion: Swap with 1-2 tbsp of diced shallots.
- Herbs: Choose two herbs you like. Personally I used cilantro and mint, but parsley and mint or parsley and chives are examples of alternatives that worked well for me.
- White balsamic vinegar: This type of vinegar is aged for a shorter period of time resulting in a milder sweet flavor compared to balsamic vinegar. I
How to Make a Marinated White Balsamic & Date Bean Salad
Pickle the peppers and shallots: Mix together the shallots, peppers, vinegar, maple syrup, and a generous pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
Char the corn: Heat a griddle over medium heat. Place one ear of corn directly on the pan to grill for 10-12 minutes, turning the corn with tongs occasionally until the corn gets some char on all sides. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Chopping: Cut the cooked and raw corn kernels away from the cob then chop any additional ingredients as needed.
Bean salad: To a large mixing bowl add the white beans, chickpeas, the drained pickled shallots and fresno peppers, corn, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, dates, cilantro and mint.
For the dressing: Add the white portion of the scallions, dates, mustard, garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, ice cubes, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a blender cup then blend till smooth. Add the remaining scallions and parsley and pulse a few times to evenly mince.
Toss together: Pour the dressing over the salad then toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Toss again and adjust seasoning then enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Saving time tips. You can skip cooking the corn and just use the fresh raw corn or heat up some frozen fire roasted corn for this salad. I also like to use julienned sun-dried tomatoes so you don’t have to do extra chopping.
- Make it your own. Change up the veggies based on what you like. Not a fan of peppers? Try with some shredded or thinly sliced carrots. Need something more affordable than dates? Try golden raisins or diced dried-apricots. Want to add some greens? I love to stir in some arugula. This recipe is just a framework, so customize it to fit your own preferences.
- Adjust the spice. If you are sensitive to heat, try removing the seeds and membranes of your spicy peppers before slicing. You can also choose to omit the spice entirely. Do what suits your palate.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the type of salad that holds up really well in the fridge and continues to develop flavor as it marinates. After mixing the bean salad with the dressing, store in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 5 days. No reheating required.
While beans have protein, you can always bump up the protein a lot based on what you decide to pair it with. You may want to enjoy some marinated tofu feta with this, enjoy stuffed in a high-protein wrap, or paired with a higher protein grain like quinoa.
Consider serving the bean salad with some gluten-free pita chips (I like Simple Mills), a gluten-free wrap, or over some gluten-free grains like rice or quinoa. This can also be great to pair with a bean based pasta for a gluten-free high-protein option.
Make It Balanced
During the summer months, I tend to add my bean salads to snacking plates along with some type of pita or chip and lots of veggies. Here I chose to do some pita rounds and mini peppers. However, you can do a lot more as exampled below:
- Serve in a high-protein wrap along with your favorite greens or with a piece of toast
- Perfect to pair with your favorite grains like rice, quinoa or farro
- Make it high protein by mixing this together with your favorite regular or bean based pasta
More Nutrient Dense Bean Salads to Try
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Description
This bean salad is marinated in a white balsamic and date dressing that adds an irresistible sweet and savory heat that’ll make you excited to get your fiber in.
Bean Salad
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 fresno chili peppers, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 ears of corn, husks removed
- 1, 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup fire roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and diced
- 1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes jarred in oil, drained
- 4 medjool dates, pitted and diced
- 1/2 cup parsley or cilantro leaves, minced
- 8–10 mint leaves, torn (optional)
White Balsamic Date Vinaigrette
Serving Suggestions
- To a small bowl add the shallots, peppers, vinegar, maple syrup, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat then cover and place in the fridge while you prep the rest of the salad.
- Heat a griddle or grill pan over medium heat. When hot, place one ear of corn directly on the pan and grill for about 10-12 minutes, turning the corn with tongs occasionally until the corn gets some char on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Cut the cooked and raw corn kernels away from the cob then chop any additional ingredients as needed.
- To a large mixing bowl add the white beans, chickpeas, the drained pickled shallots and fresno peppers, corn, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, dates, cilantro and mint.
- For the dressing, add the white portion of the scallions, dates, mustard, garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, ice cubes, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a blender cup. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness, acidity, or salt as needed. Add the remaining scallions and parsley and pulse a few times to evenly mince.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients then toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Toss again and adjust seasoning as needed before enjoying.
Notes
Saving time tips. You can skip cooking the corn and just use the fresh raw corn or heat up some frozen fire roasted corn for this salad. I also like to use julienned sun-dried tomatoes so you don’t have to do extra chopping.
Make it your own. Change up the veggies based on what you like. Not a fan of peppers? Try with some shredded or thinly sliced carrots. Need something more affordable than dates? Try golden raisins or diced dried-apricots. Want to add some greens? I love to stir in some arugula. This recipe is just a framework, so customize it to fit your own preferences.
Adjust the spice. If you are sensitive to heat, try removing the seeds and membranes of your spicy peppers before slicing. You can also choose to omit the spice entirely. Do what suits your palate.
Adjust the flavor. Taste and see if your dressing or salad needs more salt, acid, or sweetness. To adjust for flavor, sometimes adding a little more salt or acid can really help bring out more flavor. If too acidic or sharp, balance with a little more oil or sweetener to dull it. Always add these adjustments a little at a time so that you don’t overdo a specific flavor.
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