Greek Bean Salad Lemon Marinated (View Print Version)

A refreshing blend of beans, zesty lemon, herbs, crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes, olives, and feta. Bursting with Mediterranean flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans & Marinade

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→ Salad

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# Method:

01 - Pat the drained beans dry with paper towels and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, honey, ¾ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until well combined.
03 - Pour the lemon-oregano marinade over the beans and gently fold until every bean is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for maximum flavor.
04 - When ready to assemble, taste the marinated beans and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Reserve any excess marinade.
05 - In a large salad bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, and dill. Drizzle the reserved bean marinade and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables.
06 - Add the marinated beans and toss gently to combine, being careful not to crush the beans or tomatoes.
07 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top, then give the salad one final gentle toss to distribute the cheese.
08 - Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

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  • The beans soak up that lemon-oregano bath like tiny flavor sponges, making each bite taste like it's been marinating for generations
  • It's one of those rare dishes that actually gets better overnight, so leftovers feel like a treat instead of a compromise
  • You can prep everything in advance and just toss before serving, which makes you look effortless when guests arrive
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  • The hour-long marination time isn't a suggestion, it's what transforms this from ordinary bean salad into something people will actually remember and ask for the recipe
  • If you're making this ahead of time, don't add the feta until right before serving, otherwise it can get a little soggy and lose its nice crumbly texture
  • The salad needs those 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature because cold mutes flavors and you want everything tasting bright and alive when people take that first bite
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  • If you remember, rotate your beans in the marinade once or twice during that hour in the fridge, it helps everything absorb flavor more evenly
  • Room temperature lemons yield more juice than cold ones, and you can microwave them for 10 seconds if you forgot to take them out ahead of time
  • A microplane makes the finest, most evenly distributed lemon zest, which matters because big zest pieces can be unpleasantly bitter in each bite
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