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Justine Doiron

just real good food

Beans + Grains + Bowls, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Salads + Soups, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian · June 8, 2022

Za’atar Butter Bean Salad

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Finished 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!

Finished Za'atar Butter Bean Salad

Table of contents

  • Ingredients for this za’atar butter bean salad
  • How to prepare this bean salad
  • What other beans can this za’atar summer salad use?
  • More ingredient substitutions for this salad recipe
  • How to store this salad for meal prep
  • Looking for other summer salad recipes?
Dried butter beans

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
Halved cherry tomatoes

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.
Parsley, garlic and lemon

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!
Pickled red onions

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
Pickled red onions added to bowl

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!

Butter beans and pepper added to bowl

Looking for other summer salad recipes?

Here are a few I am loving lately:

Summer Shishito Pepper Salad
Raw corn, bright flavors and quickly sautéed shishito peppers make this salad one of my summer favorites. It's slightly spicy, earthy from the walnuts and so filling. Proving once and again that an amazing salad doesn't always start with lettuce.
Check out this recipe
Roasted Spring Onions, Almond Gremolata & Ricotta
The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity – I like to call it a snack for dinner. It's essentially a glorified dip, with charred, almost jammy spring onions, topped with a fresh, crispy, salty almond garlic gremolata. You can mix and match ingredients as you please, and really make the gremolata your own. Top everything on ricotta and serve with the crustiest of bread.
Check out this recipe
Spring Snap Peas & Radishes with a Fried Egg
This salad recipe is simple, fresh and perfect for spring. Add an egg and some toast and you have my ideal spring salad.
Check out this recipe
Finished Za'atar Butter Bean Salad

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

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. It's a perfect summer salad. Use ripe and juicy cherry tomatoes, preferably as red as you can get them, and let the butter beans and pickled red onions bring the whole salad up another level. Parsley is there for some *greenage* but I wouldn't be mad at you if you also wanted to throw a little lettuce in the mix!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:15 minutes mins
Cook Time:0 minutes mins
Total Time:15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Fusion, Middle Eastern
Keyword: butter beans, tomatoes, Za’atar
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 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

Optional toppings

  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  • 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.

Posted In: Beans + Grains + Bowls, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Recipes, Salads + Soups, Special Diets, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maddie says

    June 21, 2022 at 10:58 pm

    Perfect combo of flavors! Subbed butter beans for random buckeye beans I had around and it was great 🤩

    • Justine says

      June 22, 2022 at 4:45 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it! And thank you for taking the time to leave your POV, I appreciate it more than you know <3

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Hey! I'm Justine. A recipe developer, highly dedicated eater, and bread enthusiast with an archive of both savory and sweet. This is where I store all my recipes, feel free to take a look around!
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