White Bean Salad With Fennel and Celery

By Sue Li

Updated November 4, 2025

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sue Li.
Ready In
15 min
Rating
5(97)
Comments
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Like so many bean salads, this one is delicious the day it's made, but gets even better as it sits. You can marinate the beans in the dressing ahead of time, and they’ll soak it up and become more flavorful in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, simply fold in the onion, fennel, celery and dill. This salad is a satisfying vegan dish on its own, but it also pairs beautifully with seared tuna. To make it more substantial, consider adding a jar of olive oil-marinated tuna or some roasted salmon.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • ⅓ cup olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed

  • ½ small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 

  • 1 medium fennel bulb (about 8 ounces), trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)

  • ½ bunch celery, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups), plus some tender leaves

  • ½ small bunch dill, fronds and tender stems coarsely chopped (¼ cup)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

36 grams carbs; 292 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 13 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 617 milligrams sodium; 11 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the shallot, lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar and mustard. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk vigorously to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and toss until well coated in the dressing.

  2. Step 2

    Rinse the red onion slices under cold water, drain, and toss into the bean mixture. Add the fennel, the celery and celery leaves, and the dill to the salad bowl and toss to combine. Season with more salt and pepper and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
97 user ratings
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Comments

ASH

Simple and delicious. I made this twice. The first time as written and the second time I added feta cheese. It really comes down to the amazing dressing that would make shoe leather appetizing. I make many a white bean salad similar to this one, but the simple citrus vinaigrette is what puts it over the top.

Greg

I had only one can of cannellinis, but wanted to stay with this volume of salad. I added a can of artichoke hearts. I am not suggesting that this was an improvement, necessarily (I will follow recipe to a T next time), but it was a good dish, a good variation.

Chase A

This was delicious! And the author is right, tastes even better the longer it sits. It’s crunchy and raw, zesty and bright.

Helena Pires

Fresh and vibrant flavors. I served it for Christmas Eve and it went beautifully with baked salmon.

Nancy

We prepared this for a Thanksgiving side dish. We added chopped garlic to the dressing but otherwise followed the recipe. The red onion was very strong and I should have chopped it more finely. It was very good despite the red onion. The raw fennel and celery were wonderful with the citrus vinaigrette. We will make it again.

Suhani

I made this exactly as written and really enjoyed the flavors. I would not change a thing and plan on making this often.

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