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Tired of lettuce salads? Switch it up with this easy no lettuce salad made with cucumber, tomatoes, and butter beans tossed in a simple white wine vinaigrette – it’s bright, tangy, and packed with fiber!
No lettuce? No problem! This easy no lettuce salad with butter beans is packed with flavor and can satisfy your salad craving when you don’t have any lettuce greens on hand.
Fresh veggies like mini cucumbers and cherry tomatoes are paired with pantry staples like butter beans and green olives for a simple bean salad that is anything but basic. We seriously love all the Mediterranean flavors going on in this salad.
Serve this no lettuce salad as a simple work-from-home lunch that can be meal prepped in advance or dish it out as a side with your favorite protein. I have a feeling this is going to be your go-to summer salad for potlucks and bbq get-togethers this year.
Check out even more of my healthy salad recipes to enjoy all year long!
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Why You’ll Love this Salad
- Simple to Make: you can have this salad assembled in 15 minutes or less.
- Customizable: this salad can easily be adapted to incorporate other ingredients like different beans or veggies.
- Good for You: we all know that salads are good for you but bean salads like this one offer even more health benefits. Beans are great for your gut health and offer specific nutrients like magnesium that might be helpful for managing the symptoms of menopause (like headaches). Not to mention, beans can also help lower cholesterol.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Use these simple and fresh ingredients packed with nutritional value to make this delicious no lettuce salad recipe. Be sure to check out the recipe card for the exact amounts of each ingredient you’ll need.
- Olive Oil: use extra virgin olive oil if you have it on hand since it will provide the most flavor for this salad.
- White Wine Vinegar: adds bright, zippy flavor to the simple vinaigrette for this bean salad. However, you can substitute with another vinegar like red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
- Italian Seasoning: adds an herby note to the dressing. You could swap with dried oregano instead.
- Shallot: I prefer to use shallots in salads instead of red onion which I find to be overpowering sometimes. However, if you can’t find shallots, red onion is a good replacement.
- Red Peppers: I like chopping up the mini snacking peppers for this salad, but you can also use chopped bell pepper. It doesn’t have to be red – I just like the pop of color it adds!
- Mini Cucumber: adds freshness and crunch. I really like the mini cucumbers since they’re more crunchy than other varieties. However, you can substitute with an English cucumber or regular cucumber.
- Cherry Tomatoes: as this salad sits, the juice from the tomatoes add to the dressing and maximize the flavor.
- Green Olives: add a bit of saltiness to balance out the bright flavor in the vinegar. I prefer green olives, but you could also use kalamata olives.
- Butter Beans: these beans are nice and sturdy so they’re great as a base for salads like this one.
- Dill and Lemon: add fresh and bright flavor to this salad. You can also add other fresh herbs like parsley or fresh basil if you’d like.
Variations
Switch up the Veggies: feel free to swap any of the veggies in this salad with others you might have in your veggie drawer like fennel, radish, celery, or avocado. You could also add some canned ones like artichoke hearts, jarred red peppers, or sun-dried tomatoes.
Add Cheese: when serving, this salad is great with some cheese on top; we really like crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese. Some thinly sliced parmesan cheese or fresh mozzarella would also be delicious.
Use Different Beans: don’t have butter beans? No problem! You can make this salad with chickpeas or white beans instead – they’ll work just as well.
Add Nuts: try topping this salad with some chopped nuts for crunch and healthy fats. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios are all great options.
How to Make No Lettuce Salad
This healthy lettuce free salad recipe is simple to put together in a few steps.
Make the Dressing: To a large bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, shallot, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Combine: Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, butter beans, diced peppers, olives, butter beans, lemon zest, and dill. Stir to coat all the ingredients in dressing. Serve right away or cover bowl or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight to let the flavors soak into the beans.
Serve: Serve this marinated bean salad by itself or on toast, salad, or pasta! It’s also a great fresh and easy no cook side dish for a variety of meals.
How to Serve this Easy No Lettuce Salad
This easy bean salad makes a great side for just about any protein you have on the menu. I have a feeling this is going to be on repeat this summer since it pairs well with grilled fish, chicken or even burgers.
I love meal prepping this salad on the weekend for a quick and easy work-from-home lunch that takes less than 5 minutes to put together. Here are a few ways I like to serve it:
- Paired with plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese: just spoon some onto a plate and top with the no lettuce salad.
- Scoop it up: toast a slice of sourdough bread and top with the bean salad or use chips, pita, or naan to scoop up bites of this no lettuce salad.
- Pasta or Salad: make it more filling by pairing this salad with some cooked pasta or combine it with lettuce greens like romaine.
Storage Tips
This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. Since this one is lettuce free, you don’t have to worry about the dressing or other ingredients making the lettuce wilt or get soggy!
More No Lettuce Salad Recipes
- Healthy Broccoli Salad (No Mayo!)
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Healthy Pasta Salad
- Viral Tiktok Dense Bean Salad
- Healthy Potato Salad
Easy No Lettuce Salad with Butter Beans
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 3 mini cucumbers, halved and sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup chopped red mini snacking peppers
- 1/4 cup chopped green olives
- 1 15 oz can butter beans
- Zest from 1/2 lemon
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, shallot, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, butter beans, diced peppers, olives, butter beans, lemon zest, and dill. Stir to coat all the ingredients in dressing. Serve right away or cover bowl or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight to let the flavors soak into the beans.
- Serve this marinated bean salad on toast, salad, or pasta!
