Herby Butter Bean Salad with Za’atar Dressing is a vibrant, protein-packed dish loaded with fresh herbs, creamy feta, and briny olives. Tossed in a tangy za’atar-spiced dressing, it’s bursting with Mediterranean flavor in every bite. This salad comes together in minutes and gets even better as it sits. It’s perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or a light yet satisfying lunch.
I love butter beans! For more yummy butter bean recipes try my harissa butter beans or my tuscan butter bean salad.
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Why you'll love this recipe
No cooking is required, it is easy to make and ready less than 30 minutes.
Thanks to butter beans and feta this salad is high in protein and fiber.
It is vegetarian, gluten free and can be made vegan.
It is the best flavor salad for summer.
Ingredients
- Cooked butter beans
- Fresh chopped mint
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Fresh chopped basil
- Sliced green olives
- Crumbled feta (from a block)
- Finely chopped red onion
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Pressed or minced garlic
- Mustard
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Za’atar
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- herbs - Sub in any fresh herbs that you like. You can use more of one if you don't want to buy multiple herbs.
- feta - Feel free to use goat cheese, vegan feta or tofu feta.
- za'atar - If you don’t have za’atar, you can use a mix of dried thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and a touch of sumac or lemon zest for a similar flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Mix together dressing.
Step 2
Toss together salad and dressing.
Step 3
Serve and enjoy.
Storage instructions
You can store the extra salad in a sealed container in your fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Pro-Tips
Use a good quality olive oil for the best tasting dressing. Lately I have been loving Kosterina.
My favorite butter beans are Jack's butter beans found on amazon.
Use very fresh herbs for the best tasting salad.
Use high quality feta from the block. Block feta (especially in brine) has a creamier texture and tangier flavor compared to pre-crumbled, which makes a big difference in this salad.
Recipe FAQS
Yes! Canned butter beans work well—just be sure to drain and rinse them before adding to the salad. You’ll need about three 14–15 oz cans/boxes to match the recipe quantity. I really like this brand.
If you don’t have za’atar, you can use a mix of dried thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and a touch of sumac or lemon zest for a similar flavor.
Yes, butter beans are naturally high in plant-based protein, and the feta adds extra protein and fat, making this salad satisfying as a main or side.
Other salads to try
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Herby Butter Bean Salad with Za'atar Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 ½-4 cups cooked butter beans I used 3 containers of the linked brand
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped mint
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped basil
- 6 oz sliced green olives
- 5 oz crumbled feta from 1 block feta
- 1 small red onion - finely chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves pressed or minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1 teaspoon za'atar
Instructions
- Add all salad ingredients to a bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together dressing until smooth. Pour over salad and toss. Serve and enjoy.
Karen says
This salad is incredible!