Marinated White Bean Salad – Sweet Potato Soul

There’s nothing quite like this Marinated White Bean Salad! Featuring tender and creamy white beans, a sweet and zesty balsamic dressing, fresh herbs, and chopped tomatoes, this dish is warm weather cooking at its finest. Serve it as a light main dish or hearty side for rave reviews.

This recipe was originally published on April 6, 2021. It was updated with new recipe information on June 18, 2025.

Have you ever fallen in love with a food? I have. Way too many times to count! And I’m not just talking about a casual interest in a dish. But love. Like you need to get to the bottom of how it is so delicious, you think about it at the most random times, and you want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner… oh, and snack time too! Am I totally crazy? Well, perhaps. But I bet you’ll understand once you’ve tried this super yummy marinated white bean salad. 

Usually, the recipes I fall in love with are the simplest. You know, the ones where all of the ingredients are team players and bring out the best in each other. This marinated white bean salad is such a recipe. It is made with a handful of pantry staples, dried beans, tomatoes, and herbs, making the recipe accessible, but oh-so-delicious.

One thing that certainly makes this bean salad so fantastic is high-quality beans. That is, for the best white bean salad, you’ve got to try corona beans. Seriously! I’ll go into it more below, but they are so creamy and naturally sweet, a culinary experience in and of themselves. If you’ve never tried them, I recommend seeking them out for this dish. Otherwise, dried Great Northern, Cannellini, or navy beans are solid alternatives.

What Are Corona Beans?

More on one of my favorite beans (second to black-eyed peas!): Corona beans! Being a southerner, I would have rated butter beans as my second favorite until I discovered corona beans. These huge beans are something else.

Corona beans are a white bean cultivar originally from Italy. Corona is Italian for “crown,” and these babies are definitely royalty. In fact, the exact variety I buy from Rancho Gordo is called Royal Corona.

More on their size: royal coronas are enormous by bean standards, about twice the size of a lima bean, and super fat! If you want a bean that you can sink your teeth into, these are it. Corona beans have creamy interiors when cooked and a sturdy, yet tender skin. Their size and thicker skin make them ideal for salads because they don’t get mushy.

Due to their large size and sturdy skin, the beans require a longer marination time to best absorb the flavor. But even on their own, without even a pinch of salt, corona beans have an amazing flavor: slightly nutty and sweet. They shine in salads, warm dishes, stews, and everywhere else. 

Other Ingredients

Spices: The beans cook with dried thyme and bay leaves, adding delicate layers of herbaceous flavor.

Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar contributes a tangy fruitiness, and balsamic brings sweet and puckery tannins. A match made in vinegar heaven!

Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds richness and helps emulsify the dressing. For the best results, use a good-quality oil.

Tomatoes: For juicy, jammy sweetness! I recommend using farm-fresh tomatoes whenever possible.

Herbs: Fresh chopped parsley and basil add grassy and sweet herbal notes, giving the salad a refined finish and setting it apart from the rest.

Aromatics: Sliced red onion adds a sweet heat to the salad, and garlic adds a light pungency to balance the sweet maple syrup and tangy vinegars.

Salt and Pepper: These season the dish, enhancing its flavor profile.

How to Make Marinated White Bean Salad

Let’s hop to it! Here’s how to make this exceptional salad:

• Soak. Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with fresh, cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.

• Prepare. Drain the beans in a colander and add them to the Instant Pot. Add 6-8 cups of water, or enough to cover the beans with about an inch of water. Stir in the dried bay leaves and thyme.

• Pressure Cook. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place and pressure cook the beans on high for 20 minutes if using Great Northern or navy beans, 25 minutes for cannellini beans, or 30 minutes for Cannellini beans. Natural-release the pressure.

• Drain. Carefully drain the hot beans and let them cool to room temperature.

• Whisk. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil until well combined and emulsified.

• Toss. Add the cooled beans, chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl with the dressing. Gently toss until well combined.

• Serve. Season the salad to taste with more salt and vinegar. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the bean salad for at least 1 hour, but up to 1 day. The longer the salad marinates, the more flavorful it will become.

Jenné’s Recipe Pro-Tips

• Choose the best beans. They really do result in the best white bean salad! If you can get your hands on Royal Corona beans, they are the best option. Otherwise, Great Northern, Cannellini, or navy beans are delicious alternatives.
• Good ingredients. While we are on the topic, quality supporting ingredients — such as tomatoes, balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil — seal the deal on this salad’s all-star status.
• Cool the beans to room temperature. Hot beans can absorb too much of the dressing, throwing off the consistency and making the salad mushy. For the best results, cool them completely before adding. To cool them quickly, spread the beans out on a small sheet pan or large plate and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Marinate! This white bean salad recipe only gets better with time, so marinating is a must! At the very minimum, cover and refrigerate the salad for at least an hour, but ideally overnight.
• Storage directions. Cover the salad securely or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. It does not freeze well.
• Serving suggestions. For a full-spread salad feast, serve this Mediterranean white bean salad with other salads, such as my beet fennel salad or a baby kale salad, and toasted sourdough bread. For a light lunch, pair it with wild mushroom avocado toast. 

Stovetop Directions

I prefer to pressure cook the beans because the process is quicker and more hands-off. However, you can also make them on the stovetop if you don’t have an Instant Pot (or prefer not to use it).

To cook corona beans on the stovetop, first soak the beans overnight as directed. Drain them well and add them to a large pot. Cover the beans with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans for 60 minutes or until they are fork-tender and creamy.

Note: Simmer smaller beans, such as cannellini, navy, or Great Northern, for about 40-45 minutes or until tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

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