Fresh from the Kitchen: Recipes & Food Inspiration
- Prioritize beans for extra fiber and iron; pair with vitamin C to boost iron absorption.
- Marinating deepens flavor, so make ahead for easy meal prep and more flavorful beans.
- Flexible with pantry ingredients: swap beans, artichoke hearts, capers, or vinegars; use store-bought fried onions or fry shallots.
This Marinated Artichoke Bean Salad is something delicious you can make with basic pantry staples. Tossed in an herby balsamic dressing designed for your bread to dip right into.
Why You’ll Love This Marinated Artichoke Bean Salad
- Easy way to get in fiber and iron. Prioritizing beans in salads like this means you can better hit your iron and fiber goals. This salad also has vitamin C, which helps to better absorb that iron.
- Gets better as it sits. The benefit of meal prepping this in advance is that all those good flavors infuse themselves into the beans making them even more delicious.
- Uses basic pantry ingredients. A majority of the ingredients in this salad rely on cheap pantry items, which means you can make it regularly based on what you have on hand.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans: I love a combination of white beans and chickpeas for my bean salads, but this works with black beans, red kidney beans, or even small lentils.
- Artichoke hearts: Preferably the ones that are jarred and marinated. Alternatively, feel free to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and herbs, roasted bell pepper, or even green olives.
- Capers: They add a lovely briny flavor and are cheap! Feel free to swap for green olives.
- Lemon: Fresh is best!
- Balsamic Vinegar: The flavor will be dependent on the age and quality of the vinegar. Red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar can work as a solid alternative. Just make sure to taste and adjust flavors as needed.
- Herbs: I used a combination of oregano, dill, and chives. This also works really well with basil and fresh parsley.
- Spices: Red pepper flakes add a little kick and fennel seeds adds a little more depth to the sweet and fresh flavors in the salad. Both are totally optional.
- Shallots: Red onions work great, or if you’d like to skip making fried onions from scratch, opt for the store bought variety.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves are preferred!
How to Make Marinated Artichoke Bean Salad and Crispy Shallots
Add the beans, capers, artichoke hearts, dill, chives, oregano, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Grate two cloves of garlic at the top, then add a pinch of salt.
Cook the shallots in 2-3 tbsp of oil in a small saucepan. Stir constantly for 7-8 minutes or until they become a pale golden brown color. Transfer the shallots to a paper towel lined plate, then sprinkle with salt.
Take the hot oil, and carefully pour it over the grated garlic in the mixing bowl to flash cook it.
Add the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, and some black pepper to taste. Stir everything to combine, then give the beans a taste. Adjust the salt, acid, or fat to your liking.
Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then stir. Serve it on a snacking plate with a sprinkle of some crispy shallots along with your favorite bread and veggies.
Expert Tips
- Ways to simplify this recipe. Instead of frying up the shallots yourself, buy store bought fried onions to sprinkle on top. Instead of chopping the herbs, capers, and artichokes by hand, add them to a mini food processor and pulse them 3-4 times to mince them well.
- Stir in what you have on hand. This recipe is pretty easy to tweak however you like. I leaned heavily on jarred items in my pantry, but you can also add additional freshness by stirring in some diced cucumbers, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes.
- Taste and adjust. While I share the amounts that worked for me, feel free to add more or less of the things you love after tasting it. If it’s tasting a little bland, add some more salt. Too sharp? Add a little more oil or a touch of sweetener. If the salad feels flat, add some more acid in the form of lemon or balsamic vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Consider any of the following options to add some additional protein. Add some nutritional yeast to the bean salad (1 tbsp = 3 grams of protein). Top your bean salad with some marinated tofu. Serve it with some higher protein grains like quinoa or farro (1 cup cooked = 8g of protein). If making a snack plate, serve alongside some vegan pepperoni (1 serving = 7g of protein).
Consider a gluten-free wrap to stuff the beans in or serve the bean salad with some gluten-free pita chips. You can also use this as a side to serve with a higher protein option like this tofu cutlet.
Make It Balanced
This bean salad is designed to provide both fiber and protein. It makes a great high fiber snack or can be a base to build around to achieve a full balanced meal. Here are some serving suggestions:
- On a snack plate with extra veggies and some bread
- Stuffed in a whole grain wrap with your favorite greens and spreads
- Over your favorite grains like rice or quinoa and some marinated tofu “feta” sprinkled on top
More Bean Salads to Try
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Description
This Marinated Artichoke Bean Salad is something delicious you can make with basic pantry staples. Tossed in an herby balsamic dressing to make that fiber extra yummy.
Bean Salad
Crispy Shallots
- To a large mixing bowl add the cannellini beans, chickpeas, capers, marinated artichoke hearts, dill, chives, oregano, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Grate two cloves of garlic at the very top so it is visible, then sprinkle the bowl with a generous pinch of salt.
- Heat the cooking oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and allow to cook, stirring constantly for 7-8 minutes or until they become a pale golden brown color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shallots, leaving the hot oil in the pan. Transfer the shallots to a paper towel lined plate, then sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Take the hot oil, and carefully pour it over the grated garlic in the mixing bowl to flash cook it.
- Add the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, a drizzle of your favorite extra virgin olive oil, and some black pepper to taste. Stir everything to combine, then give the beans a taste. Adjust with more salt, vinegar, or sweetener based on your preference.
- Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then give the salad a big stir. Scoop on to a plate or bowl and drizzle with some of the marinade that pools at the bottom of the container as desired. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or more of the crispy shallots and enjoy with your favorite bread and veggies.
Notes
Ways to simplify this recipe. Instead of frying up the shallots yourself, buy store bought fried onions to sprinkle on top. Instead of chopping the herbs, capers, and artichokes by hand, add them to a mini food processor and pulse them 3-4 times to mince them well.
Stir in what you have on hand. This recipe is pretty easy to tweak however you like. I leaned heavily on jarred items in my pantry, but you can also add additional freshness by stirring in some diced cucumbers, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes.
Taste and adjust. While I share the amounts that worked for me, feel free to add more or less of the things you love after tasting it. If it’s tasting a little bland, add some more salt. Too sharp? Add a little more oil or a touch of sweetener. If the salad feels flat, add some more acid in the form of lemon or balsamic vinegar.
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