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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!

A heart shaped blue mottled ceramic bowl filled with a colourful mixed bean salad with a pouring jug of vinaigrette behind.

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.

Mixed bean salad in a blue ceramic bowl on a grey surface.

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

A chopping board full of ingredients, sliced red onion, coriander, diced red pepper, a tomato, sweetcorn and a tin of mixed beans.
  • 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

A vinaigrette in a jam jar.
  • 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.
Sliced red onions in boiling water before using in a 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.
Mixed beans, sweetcorn and chopped coriander in a blue bowl to be mixed as a 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.
adding a vinaigrette dressing to a mixed 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.
A blue ceramic heart shaped bowl on a grey surface filled with a vibrant colourful mixed bean salad.

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.

A heart shaped blue mottled ceramic bowl filled with a colourful mixed bean salad with a pouring jug of vinaigrette behind with a handful of fresh coriander.

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.
A young girl holding a heart shaped bowl filled with a mixed bean salad and wearing a red and white flowered dress.

FAQs

Can I use dried beans instead of canned?

I have used tinned beans for ease in this recipe. However, you can use dried beans if you prefer. Simply soak the beans in water over night, and then cook them for 40-60 minutes the following day until they are soft.

This is a much longer process and requires a little forward planning. However, I use dried beans and pulses in my cooking and with a bit of prior planning it can work out a lot cheaper to cook with dried beans. Particularly if you are catering for a larger crowd.

Can bean salad be made ahead?

Yes, this salad can be made in advance, it will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge if covered. Just take care when serving as it may have become a little watery. This is easily fixed, give it a good stir and drain off any excess liquid before serving.

Can you freeze bean salad?

You can’t freeze this bean salad, the defrosting process would cause everything to break down too much, and nobody will thank you for soggy salad.

Pin the recipe

Pinnable image with recipe title and bowl of mixed bean and vegetable salad.

Additional recipe suggestions

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

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

A heart shaped blue mottled ceramic bowl filled with a colourful mixed bean salad with a pouring jug of vinaigrette behind.

Mixed Bean Salad

An easy bean salad that is quick to prepare. A salad that works both as a side for BBQ's or great on its own as a light lunch. Using tinned beans from the pantry this great salad can be ready in no time.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Resting time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 394kcal

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 6 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup (or another sweetener)
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • salt & pepper (to taste)

Salad

  • 400 g tin mixed beans (drained & rinsed)
  • 1 red onion (sliced thinly)
  • 1 red pepper (diced)
  • 1 tomato (large, diced)
  • 200 g tin sweetcorn
  • 1 handful fresh coriander (chopped)
  • salt & pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Dressing

  • 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.

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.

Notes

I used a large tomato in the recipe, alternatively you can use 3-4 smaller cherry tomatoes depending on what you have available. 
 
Nutrition Facts
Mixed Bean Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 394 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 22mg1%
Potassium 688mg20%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1353IU27%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine : BBQ, British, Mediterranean
Keyword : BBQ, Bean, Salad, Side Dish, vegan, vegetarian
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Recipe Rating




5 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Cat | Curly's Cooking

Tuesday 29th of September 2020

Simple but so colourful and tasty looking - yum! I've sent this to my Mum because she's always buying mixed bean salads and she should definitely make this instead.

Lesley

Wednesday 30th of September 2020

Thank you Cat, this is exactly why we put this recipe on our blog as it's so easy to make at home and a lot cheaper too. Lesley x

Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

Monday 28th of September 2020

YUM! I am a big fan of a simple but tasty bean salad like this one. Eb :-)

Lesley

Tuesday 29th of September 2020

Thank you Eb, this is a great simple salad to pull together and it keeps well in the fridge. Lesley x

Sheeba

Thursday 24th of September 2020

Yummy recipe! I'm a great fan of beans & this looks like a perfect lunch that I can eat almost everyday by adding different veggies.

Lesley

Thursday 24th of September 2020

Thank you Sheeba, it's a very versatile salad and one you can adapt using the veggies in your fridge.

Beth+Sachs

Wednesday 23rd of September 2020

The maple mustard dressing sounds delicious. I often make bean salads for my lunch as they are so hearty and filling.

Lesley

Wednesday 23rd of September 2020

Thank you Beth, this is a great salad for lunch and once made it does keep for a couple of days in the fridge. Lesley x

Janice

Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

What a wonderful salad, full of lovely flavours and so easy to make.

Lesley

Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

Thank you Janice, its a lovely quick salad, perfect any time of the year. Lesley x

5 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)