5 Italian Legume Salads That Make Summer Dinner Easy

Legumes are one of the most underrated summer ingredients — they hold up in the fridge, absorb dressings beautifully, and make a salad substantial enough for dinner. These five recipes cover the range: borlotti beans, green beans with tuna, a Roman-style bowl, and a fava and chicory combination that works warm or at room temperature.

Fresh Borlotti Bean Salad is a cold, flavorful side built around tender borlotti beans and summer vegetables. It’s nutritious, full of deep bean flavor, and fits right into any warm-weather menu.

Pro tip: serve this well chilled with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil just before it hits the table to bring out the beans’ creamy texture.

Green Bean Salad is fresh, crisp, and made for the hottest days of the year. It lets green beans take center stage in a light salad that keeps things flavorful without feeling heavy.

Pro tip: cook the green beans until just tender, then cool them quickly so they stay bright and keep their snap in the finished salad.

Green bean, carrot, corn, and tuna salad is the go-to Italian summer dish, known as insalata di fagiolini con tonno. Green beans pair with tuna and colorful vegetables for a satisfying, all-in-one salad that’s easy to pull together on a hot night.

Pro tip: use good-quality canned tuna packed in olive oil and flake it in at the end so you get generous, tender pieces throughout the salad.

Roman-style bean salad is rustic and hearty, with tender legumes dressed in a bold, savory sauce. Served at room temperature, it brings classic Roman personality to the table without needing much else alongside.

Pro tip: let the beans sit in their sauce for a bit before serving so they can soak up the seasoning and taste even richer.

Warm broad bean and chicory salad swaps the usual pasta-and-beans for a lighter, seasonal take. Fava beans and chicory are tossed with a freshly made sauce and finished with lots of pecorino shavings for a comforting yet vibrant salad.

Pro tip: shave the pecorino at the last minute over the warm beans and chicory so it softens just slightly without fully melting.

The green bean and tuna salad is the quickest — under 30 minutes and ready to eat. The borlotti and Roman-style bowls are better made ahead and left to marinate. The fava and chicory is the most unusual of the five and the one most worth trying if you haven't.