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Home » Recipes

Summer party recipes: Lemon Dill Navy Bean Salad

Published: Jun 23, 2016 · Modified: Dec 15, 2022 by Rose McAvoy · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

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This post is sponsored by Gourmet Garden. The ideas and opinions are my own. I love sharing products that fit into my busy family's healthy eating lifestyle. Thank you for supporting brands that make it possible to keep Half Her Size running.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors, this lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Creamy navy beans dressed with bright lemon and the lightly sweet tang of dill make this salad supremely satisfying on a hot day. This simple salad makes a wonderful side dish for backyard barbecues or casual picnics.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.

Recipe Highlights:

  • Quick & easy no-cook side dish recipe perfect for summer parties, picnics, and back yard barbecues
  • Vegetarian and gluten-free recipe
  • Excellent source of fiber and protein; very filling.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.

A few weeks ago I threw myself a birthday party. It was the best present. I was honored to host some of the best ladies I know for my take on a girly birthday party all grown up.

But I almost didn't do it. Part of me felt silly writing an invitation asking my friends to come and celebrate me. I must have opened and closed the Evite half a dozen times before finally hitting send. Once the invitation was out in cyberspace I was really happy with my decision. Then, I realized I did not have much time to put together a party.

I wanted to relax and enjoy my birthday but being a food blogger there was no way I could throw a party and not feed my guests some of my latest recipes. To keep it simple I came up with a selection of quick and easy salads, including this lemon dill navy bean salad, that would serve as substantial side dishes to a balsamic glazed pork tenderloin.

The second but perhaps more important reason I went with a menu of salads was cake. I wanted to make sure I could enjoy every last morsel of the amazing cake being made by my extremely talented and generous friend, Cheryl, completely guilt-free. In addition to the colorful salads, several of my friends made their own beautiful side dishes to share. Once everything was served we were treated to a gorgeous buffet of summery foods.

It turned out that keeping the menu simple was not only key to being able to be an easy breezy hostess/guest of honor at my own birthday party, it was necessary for survival! Well... maybe things weren't quite that dramatic.

In our region it is unusual to have more than a few days of high heat per year, so, like most homes, we live without air-conditioning. Not to mention on many years, I have spent my early June birthday indoors due to chilly rainy weather. Not this year! In the weeks leading up to my birthday the forecast crept up and up until the temperature was headed for potentially record breaking highs in the upper 90's. I was so glad I the party menu was all healthy recipes from refreshing ingredients.

In the morning before the thermometer climbed outside, I put on some cheerful music and happily chopped veggies and whisked salad dressing inside. I love feeding people and it was a gift to do so on my birthday. To suit as many dietary needs as possible, 3 out of 4 were gluten free and all were made with vinaigrette dressings. With no cheese or creamy dressings the salads were less temperature sensitive, too. Even so, I kept everything tucked in the refrigerator as long as possible to keep cold and to let the flavors develop to their fullest.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.

Waiting until the last moment to put out the food unintentionally created a great ice breaker activity. Many of my friends had not met before but the conversation started flowing with ease as we all gathered in the kitchen plating pickles, arranging cheese and crackers, and putting the salads into their serving dishes. There is nothing better than food to turn strangers into lifelong friends.

Of the four simple salad recipes, this lemon dill navy bean salad was the easiest. I cooked beans from dry the day before the party so they were cool and ready to become a salad the morning of the party. Navy beans are mild, almost nutty, with a subtle creaminess that needs big bright flavors for balance. Bright lemon and sweet dill are assertive enough to stand out against these beans which can neutralize more mild flavors.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.

Sidebar: If you happen to overcook your beans and they turn into paste, skip the vegetables, add a generous squeeze (about 1 tbsp) of Gourmet Garden chunky garlic to the dressing, stir it all together, and call this a navy bean pâté. It sounds super fancy and no one needs to know you set out to make a salad.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.

You can skip the cooking all together by using canned beans, simply rinse and shake dry before placing them in you bowl. Of course, using Gourmet Garden dill makes this recipe a snap. I love grabbing a tube of herbs, squeezing out just the right amount for my recipe, then moving on to the next step. It takes seconds to give any recipe a huge bump of flavor. Also, the Gourmet Garden herbs stay perfectly fresh in my refrigerator for weeks, which you can appreciate if you have ever bought a bunch of herbs and not gotten around to using them for a few days only to find pond scum in the back of the refrigerator - bleck!

Keeping Gourmet Garden herbs on hand means there are always fresh herbs ready to use, something that makes this busy cook very happy on her birthday and everyday.

Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Quick & easy 15 minute no-cook recipe.



Lemon Dill Navy Bean Salad

Rose McAvoy
Thanks to the simple fresh flavors lemon dill navy bean salad has a lightness you might not expect from a bean salad. Creamy navy beans dressed with bright lemon and the lightly sweet tang of dill make this salad supremely satisfying on a hot day. Lemon dill navy bean salad makes a wonderful side dish for backyard barbecues or casual picnics.
4 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Servings 6 cups
Calories 152 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups navy beans rinsed
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • ¼ cup chopped red onions
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon Gourmet Garden dill stir-in paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, celery, and onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, and salt.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and stir gently to combine.
  • Refrigerate the finished salad for 4 hours up to overnight.

Notes

If you start with dry navy beans use 2 cups of dry beans, then soak and simmer according the package directions – do not overcook!

More recipes from the party!

Chili-lime black bean & rice salad

Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco from Damn Delicious

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rose McAvoy

    August 10, 2016 at 10:39 am

    Thank you AArti :)

    Reply
  2. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen

    July 01, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    Bean salads are some of my favorites in the summer. Love how light and refreshing this one sounds with the addition of dill. Those Gourmet Gardens herb pastes are seriously the best, I live off the basil one!

    Reply
    • Rose McAvoy

      July 05, 2016 at 10:55 am

      Thank you Gina. I love the basil too it is great with eggs.

      Reply
  3. Rachel @ Rachel Cooks

    July 01, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    This is my kind of salad! Love dill and I absolutely love how easy this is to make.

    Reply
    • Rose McAvoy

      July 05, 2016 at 10:56 am

      Thank you Rachel! Doesn't dill feel like the most summery of summer herbs?

      Reply
  4. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl

    June 28, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    I just had something so similar for lunch!! Yum!

    Reply
    • Rose McAvoy

      July 05, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Love it! Great minds :)

      Reply
  5. Sapna

    June 26, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    4 stars
    OMG looks SO good!

    Reply
    • Rose McAvoy

      July 05, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Thank you!

      Reply

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