Name: Butter Bean Salad with Feta
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar ((see note 1)); 2 teaspoons sumac ((see note 2)); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon honey ((or agave syrup, maple syrup)); ¼ to ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ((see note 3)); ½ cup thinly sliced red onions; 2 (15 oz / 14 fl oz / 398 ml) cans butter beans ((rinsed and drained, see note 4)); 1 English cucumber; 1 cup curly parsley ((tightly packed)); 1 cup feta cheese ((crumbled)); Plain Greek yogurt ((optional—for serving))

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy: Just 15 minutes to make! There's no cooking and minimal chopping.

Healthy: This delicious salad is packed with good-for-you ingredients. It's made with high-fiber beans, fresh veggies, and herbs.

High Protein: Each serving has 23g to 35g of protein—without any meat. (Follow the Greek yogurt option for more protein).

Meal Prep Friendly: This salad is a great make-ahead work lunch. It doesn't need to be heated, so can be eaten on-the-go.

Ingredients (and substitutes)

You only need 10 ingredients (and salt) to make this salad AND homemade dressing.

Salad

Butter Beans: These large, creamy beans hold their own in salads. Canned beans are most convenient. But home-cooked beans work great too. Butter Beans may be labelled as Lima Beans. You could substitute Cannellini beans.

Red Onions: Thinly sliced onions add zing and color to this salad. This recipe uses cleverly the salad dressing to marinate/pickle the onions. It softens the onions and infuses them with sumac flavor. You could use shallots instead.

Parsley: We almost always cook with flat-leaf parsley. But we use curly parsley for this salad recipe. Curly parsley has less intense flavor—so, you can use a lot of it! And, the leaves are fluffier so it holds up well in the salad. You could swap for flat-leaf parsley. But if you do, start with half because it'll pack down more tightly in the measuring cup.

Feta: Use lots of crumbled feta cheese for a salty, creamy element. To make this salad vegan, simply swap your favorite feta substitute.

Sumac Dressing

Sumac: This dark red spice is made from dried berries. It has a tart, slightly fruity taste. Many grocery stores stock sumac—otherwise find it at a Middle Eastern shop or online.

Red wine vinegar: Vinaigrette needs acidity, and red wine vinegar adds both flavor and color. You could substitute lemon juice (or white wine vinegar).

Honey: A bit of sweetness helps balance the flavors. You could swap agave nectar or maple syrup instead.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

How to make (step-by-step photos)

This butter bean salad is so quick to make! It's ready in just 15 minutes. Here's how to make this recipe:

A woman's hand whisking sumac dressing in a bowl. — 1. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Red onions marinating in a bowl of sumac dressing. — 2. Add onions, toss to coat, then set aside to marinate/quick-pickle.

Parsley being chopped on a cutting board for butter bean salad. — 3. Meanwhile, chop the parsley and cucumber.

Tossing butter bean salad with feta in a bowl for serving. — 4. Add everything to the bowl with the marinated onions. Toss to combine.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

Tips

Butter beans are Lima beans: Both come from the same Phaseolus lunatus plant. But sometimes the names are associated with beans harvested at different maturities. For example, the younger green-hued beans are often called "baby lima beans". Whereas "butter beans" usually refers to large white lima beans.

Level up your presentation: This is so easy to do, but makes the salad extra pretty! Start by swooping plain Greek yogurt onto serving plates. Then, drizzle olive oil and a pinch of sumac over the yogurt. Finally, spoon on the salad.

Boost protein: The Greek yogurt option adds even more protein per serving. The salad has 23g of protein per serving. If you add a cup of plain Greek yogurt, that'll increase to about 35g of protein. (Every yogurt brand varies, so check the label for accuracy).

Suggested sides: Use homemade pita chips or grilled bread to scoop up extra sauce. Or, your favotire grilled protein.

Vegan option: To make this salad vegan, just use a plant-based feta substitute. (The Greek yogurt base is optional, so leave it out or use a plain vegan yogurt).