Pizza Bean Salad

A bowl of bean salad with veggies, pepperoni, and mini mozzarella balls.

This pizza bean salad is packed with all of your favorite deluxe pizza flavors. It's perfect for a no-cook side dish or healthy meal prep.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 432

Author Dorothy Bigelow

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans (or white beans of choice), drained and rinsed (about 3-3 ½ cups)
3.5 ounces (100g) mini pepperoni quartered (about ¾ cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered (about ¾ of a pint)
1 small green bell pepper seeded and diced
½ red onion diced
8 ounces (227g) boccocini cheese* drained and quartered (also known as fresh mozzarella pearls or mini mozzarella balls)
⅓ cup sliced black olives or kalamata olives
⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes oil drained off
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano

Vinaigrette Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2-3 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Drain the beans. Drain your beans in a colander and run cold water over them until they are completely clear of the canning liquid. Shake off any excess water and add them to a large salad bowl.
Assemble the rest. To the beans, add the pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, mini mozzarella balls, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese. Toss well to combine.
Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, oregano, salt, and black pepper to a small glass jar or mini blender. Use a mini frother (or small blender/food processor) to mix the dressing until emulsified.
Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the bean salad, and toss until everything is evenly coated in the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and other ingredients to your liking. Remember that it should taste bright and pronounced; if it’s a bit flat, add a bit of salt, toss, and taste again. The salad will taste best after chilling.
(Optional) Chill for 30-60 minutes. To allow the flavors to marinate and meld together, we recommend chilling the salad for about 30-60 minutes. Taste, and adjust as needed before serving. Adding salt to taste is important because canned beans vary wildly in salt content and may need a little more (or a little less).

Notes

Storage: Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Pasta salad: Swap the 2 cans of beans for 8 ounces (227 grams) of pasta (rotini, fusilli, etc.) cooked in boiling salted water until al dente. Rinse well with cold water before adding to the salad.

Gluten-free: Use pepperoni that is made without wheat-containing fillers (check the packaging). All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

*Without bocconcini: If you can’t find mini mozzarella balls, you can either use fresh mozzarella chopped into ½” pieces, or use about 1 cup of shredded block-style mozzarella cheese.

Types of beans to use: We recommend an Italian bean like cannelini, but great northern or white kidney beans are great stand-ins if you can’t find them.

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