I love this easy white bean salad! Our recipe features a delicious combination of white beans, prosciutto, parmesan, arugula, and crunchy croutons tossed in a bright, lemony dressing. Perfect for a light lunch or a flavorful side dish!
My family eats a lot of beans, so we always look for new and exciting ways to serve them. I love a great bean salad, and this prosciutto white bean salad has quickly moved to the top of my favorites list!
White beans are mild and creamy. I love them in this salad and use them a lot in my kitchen. More ways to use them are in my easy white bean soup, this tahini kale salad, and our white chicken chili.
Key Ingredients
- White Beans: Any variety of white beans will work beautifully in this salad. I like using navy beans, cannellini beans, great Northern beans, or even garbanzo beans. You can opt for canned beans for convenience or cook dried beans yourself (I follow the same method I use for cooking black beans).
- Arugula and Parsley: I find arugula’s slight bitterness and peppery bite pairs wonderfully with lemon, just like in my arugula couscous salad. Younger arugula tends to be milder, so I usually opt for the smaller, young green leaves. If arugula isn’t your favorite, substitute it with your preferred tender greens like spinach, bok choy, or baby kale. The parsley adds a lovely fresh flavor that I really enjoy! I simply toss in the leaves without chopping them.
- Prosciutto: Adding prosciutto elevates this salad into a hearty lunch or dinner option. If you prefer them, ham or other cured meats like salami, serrano ham, or Ibérico ham are great substitutes. For a meatless version, omit it altogether!
- Parmesan Cheese: I like to grate the cheese for this salad using the larger holes on my box grater. If you prefer shavings, a vegetable peeler works great. Pecorino Romano cheese is a fantastic substitute, or you could try another interesting cheese like Manchego, Fontina, or a sharp white cheddar.
- Crusty Bread or Croutons: I love adding texture to my salads, so I usually include a handful of homemade croutons in this one. Torn crusty bread is a good substitute if you don’t have croutons.
- Homemade Lemon Dressing: This lemon vinaigrette couldn’t be simpler. It’s made with lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. If you find the dressing too tart, a touch of honey or maple syrup can help balance it out.
How to Make White Bean Salad with Prosciutto
If you have 15 minutes to spare, you can make this easy white bean salad. I make my dressing first. I whisk everything together in the bottom of a large bowl so I can toss the rest of the salad ingredients right in.
Next, I add the white beans, parmesan cheese, and parsley. I like tossing the beans around in the dressing before adding the arugula, which is more delicate. If you are making this ahead of time, follow the salad recipe through this step and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Just before serving, I gently toss the arugula into the beans. This way, the greens are perfectly dressed, and since we are doing it just before eating, they won’t turn soggy. Then, I divide the salad between plates and nestle in the prosciutto and croutons, which makes the salad beautiful to look at, and anyone you are serving has an idea of what’s in there. Easy and delicious! If you enjoyed this recipe, see more of our salad recipes!
White Bean Salad with Prosciutto
This lemony white bean salad has creamy white beans, salty prosciutto, parmesan cheese, peppery arugula, and a punchy lemon dressing. Both canned beans and home-cooked beans work beautifully in this salad.
4 Servings
You Will Need
White Bean Salad
1 (15oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed or use 1 ½ cups cooked white beans
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 heaping cups arugula
8 thin slices prosciutto or other dry cured ham, torn into smaller pieces
Handful of croutons, optional, try our homemade garlic croutons
Lemon Dressing
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Juice from 1 large lemon, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon honey, optional
Directions
1Make the dressing. Whisk the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey in the bottom of a large bowl until creamy. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup if the dressing is too tart.
2Add the beans, parsley, and parmesan to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss until well coated. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
3Add arugula and gently toss until dressed.
4Divide the salad between four plates and then tuck the prosciutto and croutons into each salad.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Make ahead: Follow our recipe below to the point where you toss the beans, parmesan, and parsley with the dressing. Cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, possibly even a day longer, but remember that the olive oil in the dressing may thicken when cold. If this happens, take the salad out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before serving to allow the oil to return to its liquid state.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 salad (1/4 of the recipe)
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Calories
297
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Total Fat
17.7g
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Saturated Fat
3.3g
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Cholesterol
9.3mg
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Sodium
466.3mg
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Carbohydrate
24.6g
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Dietary Fiber
5.4g
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Total Sugars
2g
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Protein
12.6g
