This super quick and easy bean salad recipe is made with 3 types of beans and a simple vinaigrette. Serve it up alongside any main dish for a nutritious side that the whole family can enjoy!
If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for healthy easy recipes to expedite the cooking process.
Well, I have great news for you! Bean salad recipes are incredibly versatile, inexpensive, quick to prepare, and nutritious to boot!
This super simple bean salad was inspired by my mom’s husband, who is Sicilian. His father moved to the U.S. from Sicily and brought with him this magical, easy salad.
Rather then using three different types of beans, he used one type and made kidney bean salad, which is equally tasty but I personally prefer the variety.
Budget friendly and easy to customize, you can go as humble or as complex as you’d like with bean salads.
For instance, you can stick with one type of bean instead of three kinds of beans, add fresh vegetables like crisp cucumber, bell peppers, and corn, or whip up your favorite homemade dressing.
One of my favorite parts about 3 bean salads is that they pair well with just about any main entree.
Serve it up alongside The Best Grilled Chicken Thighs, BBQ Tri Tip, Crispy Salmon, or add it to a green salad for more texture and nutrients.
The best part is this easy side dish requires just a few minutes of prep to toss together. Ideal for those times you’re looking for a healthy side dish to serve guests or to enjoy for weeknight meals.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for three bean salad! You can find the full ingredients list at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Bean Salad:
Three Types of Beans: Choose your three favorite kinds of beans to make bean salad! I use canned kidney beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and black beans.
Cannellini beans, pinto beans, white beans, and fresh green beans are also popular options.
Olive Oil: We need olive oil or avocado oil to add richness to the dressing and to enable the dressing to stick to the beans.
I like using extra-virgin olive oil for that unmistakable rustic flavor, but avocado oil works nicely if you prefer neutral flavor.
Red Wine Vinegar: Bringing tangy flavor to the vinaigrette, we need some form of vinegar.
I like red wine vinegar because I think it adds to the classic Italian rustic flavors, but balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar are great options too. Lemon juice also works.
Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Oregano: The seasonings! We add dried oregano, salt, and pepper to infuse herby flavor into the salad.
If the salad tastes bland to you, continue adding salt, pepper and vinegar until you achieve the flavor you’re going for.
Optional Additions:
Fresh Garlic (optional): I like adding one small clove of garlic to add some flavor nuance to the recipe. You can increase the amount if you’re a garlic lover or skip it altogether if you aren’t into garlic.
Red Onion: A small amount of red onion goes a long way in adding a zingy pop of flavor and a tiny kick of heat. Use ¼ to ½ cup of finely chopped red onion or thinly sliced red onion. Green onions are great in this application too. You can also make my Pickled Red Onions recipe.
Fresh Parsley: Most dried herbs and fresh herbs flow magically in bean salad recipes! I like adding ½ cup of finely chopped parsley.
Feta Cheese: Mix in three ounces of feta cheese crumbles if you enjoy some tangy feta.
Green Pepper or Red Bell Pepper: Chop up 1 cup worth of bell peppers to make a Mediterranean bean salad.
Dijon Mustard: If you enjoy the flavor of mustard in your homemade dressing recipes, add 1 to 2 teaspoons to the vinegar dressing.
Olives: Green olives, kalamata olives, or black olives are all great additions to make a Mediterranean or Greek bean salad.
Chili Flakes: For a kick of heat, add red pepper flakes to your personal taste.
Now that we’re familiar with the ingredients and possible customizations, let’s make this simple bean salad recipe!
How to Make Bean Salad:
Open all three cans of beans and drain them into a colander (strainer) in the sink. Run cool faucet water over the beans to rinse them well.
Give the colander a shake to shake off any excess water. If you’d like, you can use paper towels to pat the beans dry to remove more moisture.
Transfer the drained and rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients (oil, vinegar, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper (and fresh minced garlic if adding)) until combined.
Pour the vinaigrette into the large bowl with the beans and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir everything together until the beans are well-coated.
Taste the bean salad for flavor and add more salt and pepper, oil and vinegar to your personal taste.
Serve bean salad as a side dish alongside any main dish and enjoy!
Store leftover bean salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Bean salad is even more flavorful the next day and the 2-3 days following preparation. For this reason, feel free to make this recipe ahead of time!
The next time you’re looking for a delicious and nutritious side dish to bring fiber and complex carbs to a meal, whip up this simple salad!
Canned beans make this great side dish so quick and easy to make! Plus, this perfect summer side dish is easy to store and transport, making it a fabulous potluck side.
Perfect for bean lovers, and ideal for any occasion!
More Healthy Side Dishes:
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
- Green Bean Salad with Walnuts and Feta
- Roasted Asparagus Salad
- Black Bean Corn Salad
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- The Best Potato Salad
Because three beans are better than one!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced, optional
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Open all three cans of beans and drain them into a colander (strainer) in the sink. Run cool faucet water over the beans to rinse them well. Give the colander a shake to shake off any excess water. If you’d like, you can use paper towels to pat the beans dry to remove more moisture. Transfer the drained and rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the dressing ingredients (oil, vinegar, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper (and fresh minced garlic if adding)) until combined.
- Pour the vinaigrette into the large bowl with the beans and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir everything together until the beans are well-coated.
- Taste the bean salad for flavor and add more salt and pepper, oil and vinegar to your personal taste.
- Serve bean salad as a side dish alongside any main dish and enjoy!
- Store leftover bean salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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Carlo
Tuesday 23rd of April 2024
Love how you expanded it. Getting hungry.
Julia
Thursday 25th of April 2024
Thanks for the inspiration, Carlo!