Summer White Bean Salad.

by Jessica June 1, 2026

This summer bean salad is perfect to take to the pool or beach, enjoy for lunch or as a perfect side dish to any grilled meal. Refreshing and crisp, it’s tossed in a pesto vinaigrette and tastes incredible!

We’ve been eating bean salads since before bean salads were cool!

This summer white bean salad is going to become your new best friend. It’s a side dish, a snack, a main dish and more. Make it ahead, pack it full of delicious ingredients and you have the most filling, refreshing meal.

With all the vegetables! It’s a big feel good bowl of fabulousness.

I am absolutely in love with this salad and it’s pronbably why I can say without hesitation that beans are my favorite food.

The creaminess? Unmatched.

A bean salad is one of my go-to dishes to make in the summer, especially if you have to pack some food for the pool or beach. It holds up so well in a cooler and there are so many options – not only can you change the beans, you can change the other ingredients too!

I mean, yes, we all know that.

But when you really think about ALLLLL the fabulous combos you can make with beans and flavors? It’s mind blowing.

That’s how we ended up here!

Here’s what goes into this bowl! We have:

Creamy white beans

Cherry tomatoes

Corn, fresh off the cob

Sliced green onions

Chopped cucumbers

Chopped green bell peppers

And a pesto vinaigrette!!

So much delicious, crisp flavor and texture. Also, can we talk about how green peppers are having a moment in our house?? I rarely buy them because they tend to have less flavor than the other bell pepper varieties. But their flavor reminds me weirdly of my childhood (not that’s I ever would have eaten one back then) – the flavor in salads, on pizza, on cheesesteaks.

And there is something weirdly nostalgic, comforting and of course, delicious about them right now. I can’t get enough.

So this all gets mixed together and then it’s tossed in a pesto viniagrette. With lots of chopped fresh basil! I use my own fresh pesto, but in a pinch you can use your favorite store-bought version.

You could also add in a few spoonfuls of pesto itself, but I prefer a vinaigrette. I like the tangy, briney flavor (of course) and how it’s thinner than traditional pesto. It coats the bean salad better, in my opinion.

I make the pesto vinaigrette by adding a tablespoon or so of pesto to a classic dressing, just an easy, basic vinaigrette that I always make. I also use this dressing on my summer tortellini salad, so it’s great that we have a second option now!

This stays SO well in the fridge overnight, even for a second day. If you’re worried about the herbs, don’t add them until you serve yourself a bowl.

Nothing like eating a vibrant bowl of goodness!