Greek Bean Salad Lemon Marinated (Printable)

Colorful beans marinated in bright lemon-herb dressing with crisp vegetables and tangy feta for fresh Mediterranean satisfaction.

# What You’ll Use:

→ 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 1½ tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
06 - 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
07 - ¾ 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 - ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
12 - ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
13 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
15 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for finishing
16 - 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

# How-To:

01 - Pat the drained beans dry with paper towels and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, honey, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until well combined.
03 - Pour the lemon-oregano marinade over the 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.
04 - When ready to assemble, taste the marinated beans and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Reserve any excess marinade.
05 - In a large salad bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and dill. Drizzle the reserved bean marinade and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables.
06 - Add the marinated beans and toss gently to combine, being careful not to crush the beans or tomatoes.
07 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top, then give the salad one final gentle toss to distribute the cheese evenly.
08 - Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beans soak up so much bright lemon flavor that every bite feels like sunshine, not filler.
  • It gets better as it sits, which means you can make it the night before and actually relax before your guests arrive.
  • The crunch from cucumber and the creaminess from feta make it feel indulgent even though it's mostly pantry staples.
  • You can eat it as a main lunch or serve it alongside grilled anything without it feeling like an afterthought.
02 -
  • Marinating the beans for less than an hour means they taste like plain beans with dressing on top, not beans infused with lemon and oregano.
  • Seeding the cucumber is the difference between a crisp salad and a watery mess by day two.
  • If you skip patting the beans dry, the marinade will pool at the bottom of the bowl instead of soaking in.
  • Adding the feta too early causes it to dissolve into the marinade and disappear, wait until the very end.
03 -
  • If your red onion tastes too sharp, soak the slices in cold water for ten minutes before adding them to the salad.
  • Zest the lemons before juicing them, it's nearly impossible to zest a juiced lemon and you'll need every bit of that fragrant oil.
  • Taste the salad right before serving and add a last squeeze of lemon if it needs brightening, citrus fades as it sits.
  • Use a microplane to mince the garlic into a paste rather than chopping it, it distributes more evenly and doesn't clump.
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