Italian Antipasto Bean Salad (Printable)

Hearty salad with cannellini beans, salami, provolone, and crisp vegetables tossed in zesty Italian dressing.

# What you'll need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Meats & Cheese

02 - 3.5 oz Italian salami, sliced into thin strips
03 - 3.5 oz provolone cheese, cut into small cubes

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, sliced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
08 - 1/4 cup pitted black olives, halved
09 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
14 - 1/2 tsp salt
15 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

# How to make it:

01 - In a large bowl, mix the cannellini beans, salami, provolone, cherry tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, olives, and parsley.
02 - In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until fully blended.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Optionally, refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving.
05 - Serve the salad garnished with additional parsley or a drizzle of olive oil.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better if you make it ahead and let it sit, which means less stress when guests arrive.
  • No cooking required means your kitchen stays cool and you can throw it together while doing something else.
  • The combination of salty salami, creamy beans, and that zippy dressing feels indulgent without being heavy.
02 -
  • Drain and rinse your canned beans properly or the salad will taste starchy and the dressing will get cloudy—don't skip this step even though it seems tedious.
  • If you're making this more than a few hours ahead, add the fresh parsley right before serving because it loses its color and flavor sitting in the vinegar.
03 -
  • Make the dressing in a jar and shake it hard right before serving because it separates as it sits, and you want that emulsion to coat everything evenly.
  • Cut your ingredients smaller than you think you need to—it makes the salad feel more refined and every bite tastes complete instead of having big chunks of one thing.
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