Easy Bean Salad

Easy bean salad is quick to prepare and makes a great side salad for any Summer barbecue. However, add some dressed salad leaves and enjoy for a quick lunch too!

Easy bean salad is one of those dishes that we’ve prepared and enjoyed for years, but never quite got around to writing up on our blog! This delicious salad makes a tasty side for any Summer barbecue, all the better as it doesn’t take too long to prepare!

I think that’s the thing about barbecues, you want to be outside enjoying the weather. If I’m cooking I want to be at the barbecue cooking, not stuck indoors! That’s when dishes like this come into their own as this vegan bean salad can be made earlier in the day and set aside in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

This mixed bean salad is such a quick dish, using ingredients from our store cupboards. Tinned beans and sweetcorn, mixed with some other vegetables from our store, and combined with a simple salad dressing.

Serve this easy bean salad alongside a mixed leaf salad, lightly dressed and some sun ripened tomatoes with a sprinkling of sea salt and you have the perfect, fuss-free sides for any meal.

Why you will love this recipe

• Uses simple ingredients that most of you will have in your stores at home.
• Feed a crowd, the entire recipe can be easily adapted to feed a larger group of diners at a barbecue or for dinner. Simply multiply the recipe, double or treble it if necessary.
• A great make ahead salad in fact the flavours taste even better when the salad has had time to rest.
• A healthy salad full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, that helps towards your 5-a-day.

Easy Mixed Bean Salad recipe ingredients

• Oil – I used sunflower oil, but you can use any other light flavoured oil.
• Vinegar – I’ve used white wine vinegar, but apple, red wine or sherry vinegar would work too.
• Maple syrup – adds a touch of sweetness to the dressing you could also use honey or agave syrup.
• Mustard – I used Dijon mustard, but you could also use wholegrain mustard. Don’t use English/yellow mustard as it has too strong a flavour and will overpower the salad vegetables.
• Seasoning – I season the salad and the salad dressing with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Beans – I used a can of mixed beans, which I drain and rinse in cold water.
• Vegetables – I use a combination of red onion (for it’s mild flavour – shallot is a good substitute), red bell pepper (or any other colour pepper), tomato and canned sweetcorn (you could also use frozen).
• Fresh herbs – I used a handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), but any soft herbs like parsley or basil would work well too.

How to make Easy Bean Salad

• Add all ingredients for the dressing in a lidded jam jar or dish and shake or whisk together.
• Taste and season with salt & pepper to your liking. Set aside while you prepare the salad.

• Thinly slice the red onion and place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• This removes the harshness of the raw onion for the salad.

• Drain and rinse the tinned mixed beans and place in a large serving bowl with the sweetcorn.
• Chop the coriander, dice the tomato and pepper and add to the beans.
• Drain the water off the onions and add the onions to the bean salad.

• Add half the vinaigrette to the salad, mix well and season with salt & pepper.
• As the beans sit they will absorb more of the dressing. Add more as required to suite your taste, before serving.
• Check seasoning before serving.
• Depending on your beans, you may not need all the dressing, keep any unused in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and use on salads.

Flavour variations

• BEANS: Where we have used mixed beans for ease, you can use a variety of other beans, borlotti beans, black beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans and chickpeas will all work if mixed together.
• VEGGIES: Beans are really versatile and work with a large variety of flavours. Cucumber, courgette, green or yellow peppers can all be added to this salad, giving it a lovely crunch from the rainbow of vegetables.
• CHILLI: For a slightly spicier version add just a hint of fresh chilli. De-seed a chilli and chop it finely, adding in some creamy avocado. This would give this bean salad a deliciously Mexican twist, finish it off with a squeeze of fresh lime juice!
• FRESH HERBS: This recipe uses fresh chopped coriander, however, you could use any tender herbs chopped through the salad. Parsley, tarragon, mint or basil would all work equally well.
• SWEETNESS: If you don’t have maple syrup, honey or caster sugar can be added instead. However, if you would prefer to cut the sweetness out altogether, then leave it out.

Serving suggestion

This is a delicious side dish, great with a barbecue, or alongside meat, seafood or vegetable based main dishes. Try it with my Lemon & Paprika Chicken Kebabs, Bavette Steak with Salsa Verde or my Devilled Mackerel.

However, with a little imagination you can turn this simple bean salad recipe into a main dish. Adding your choice of chicken, fish or grains to the dish. Tuna and beans work beautifully together in a salad. You can add some fresh, pan-fried tuna steaks, lightly seared and served atop the salad.However, if you don’t have fresh tuna a tin of tuna would work just as well.

If you want to keep the dish entirely vegan, then think about adding some cooked rice or quinoa to the salad. Both these grains work beautifully when stirred through a salad. Allow the salad to sit for an hour or so to allow the rice or quinoa to absorb the flavours from the vegetables and the dressing for added flavour punch.

Recipe hints & tips

1. When adding the vinaigrette to the salad to dress it, take care not to add too much at once. You may not need or want all the vinaigrette added. Start by adding half the quantity of dressing to the salad. If that’s not enough add a little more. Stir it through and then set the salad aside. When ready to serve, check that you don’t need to top up the dressing as it will absorb into the beans.
2. Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free Vegan diners.
3. Containing no gluten this salad can be served to coeliacs and gluten free diners.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then why not try some of my favorite salad sides:

• Fennel & Apple Slaw
• Watermelon Feta Salad
• Sprout Slaw with Apple & Radish
• Lettuce & Herb Salad
• Asian Cucumber Salad
• Italian Marinated Aubergine
• Spicy Chickpea & Carrot Salad

Love salad? Then head to our Best Salad Recipes post where you will find links to all our favourite salads in one place.

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