Za’atar Butter Bean Salad

I can only describe this salad as an amalgamation of colors and flavors that I love, with a hit of za’atar that keeps everything together. This Za’atar Butter Bean Salad is a perfect summer salad, fresh, easy and packed with color.

Use ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, preferably as red as you can get them, and let the butter beans and pickled red onions support the whole mix. Parsley is there for some *greenage* but I wouldn’t be mad at you if you also wanted to throw a little lettuce in there!

Ingredients for this za’atar butter bean salad

The ingredients for this bean salad are simple and easy to find at any time of year, making it a great option for meal-prepped lunches, a dinner party appetizer or an easy snack. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2/3 cup parsley, stems removed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small lemon, for juicing
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, optional
• 3/4 teaspoon za’atar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup pickled red onions
• salt & pepper to taste

How to prepare this bean salad

This butter bean salad is all about the satisfaction of chopping, assembling and eating. It’s really my favorite summer tradition to eat all raw, letting my knife and cutting board do all the work.

Here’s a breakdown of the best way to assemble this whole summer salad:

• Drain and rinse the butter beans. Spread them on a paper towel or dish towel and pat them dry.
• Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Put in a large bowl.
• Roughly tear the parsley leaves into small pieces. Rough them up with your hands to release the natural aromatics. Add this to the bowl.
• Microplane the 3 garlic cloves into the bowl, then use your hands to squeeze in the juice of one lemon, catching the seeds with your other hand. Add the basil leaves (optional) and mix to combine.
• Add in the butter beans, za’atar and a generous glug of olive oil. Gently mix to combine the ingredients.
• Add in the pickled red onions and mix again. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice/olive oil to taste.
• Garnish with feta or sesame seeds, and serve with the crustiest bread.

What other beans can this za’atar summer salad use?

I love to add beans to this salad for protein, but if you aren’t a bean person, or if you simply can’t find butter beans, here are a few other options I’d suggest:

• Chickpeas (make them crispy for some extra texture!)
• Edamame – I also have an edamame salad that I LOVE here.
• Black beans
• Lentils
• Or even a crumbled seitan or tofu – don’t be afraid to experiment!

More ingredient substitutions for this salad recipe

Don’t have everything on hand? No problem! This salad is flexible and can be anything you want it to be. Here are some more replacements for this salad recipe:

For the parsley:

• Lettuce
• Red cabbage
• Arugula

For the cherry tomatoes:

• Chopped oranges (without the peel)
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Chopped plums

How to store this salad for meal prep

I suggest keeping everything in separate air-tight containers in the fridge until you’re ready to eat! If everything is already chopped and ready to go, it’s easy to just toss everything together. The lemon juice and grated garlic can be stored with the cherry tomatoes, which will marinate with those flavors while it’s in the fridge.

The parsley will be best if kept away from the moisture of the tomatoes, beans and red onions. If they’re stored together, the parsley will get soggy and wilted.

The pickled red onions are best stored in the pickling container you used, along with the pickling juices. They will continue to pickle the longer you leave them, making them more delicious!

Looking for other summer salad recipes?

Here are a few I am loving lately:

And that’s everything for this Za’atar Butter Bean Salad!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3