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Easy, flavorful Mediterranean Pinto Bean Salad with collard greens, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. This versatile healthy side dish pairs beautifully with just about any main entree!
Looking for pinto bean side dishes, or just a really great salad to enjoy alongside any meal?
This easy, flavorful, healthy pinto bean salad recipe can be served either warm or cold and pairs beautifully with any main entree. Grilled chicken, baked salmon, pork tenderloin, or steak are all great options.
Packed with flavorful goodies like sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and lemon zest, we’re going for a Mediterranean theme to bring an abundance of fresh flavor to your meal.
You can even use this easy bean salad as an appetizer and serve it with tortilla chips.
The best part is the fresh ingredients can be found at any grocery store!
Pinto Bean Salad Ingredients:
Canned Pinto Beans: The main ingredient here. Pick up one can of pinto beans, or use 1 and ⅔ cups of cooked beans if you prepare your beans from dry. Pinto beans are an excellent source of fiber and also contain some plant-based protein.
Collard Greens: In order to add some high powered greens to the salad, I like adding a small head of chopped collard greens. Because collard greens are fibrous when raw, sautéing them helps to soften them up for a beautiful consistency that is easy to chew.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Fresh onion and garlic provide a big backdrop of savory flavor. You can toss in some fresh green onions too if you like them.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Supporting the Mediterranean theme, sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of tangy rustic flavor.
Kalamata Olives: Briny olives add an unparalleled savory flavor and some salt to enhance the whole experience. Plus, they add healthy fats.
Feta Cheese: Perhaps my all-time favorite cheese to add to any salad, feta adds a huge punch of amazing flavor.
Lemon Zest: Fresh lemon zest adds a citrus component that completes the flavor profile.
Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste: Season the salad to your personal taste using salt and pepper.
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion, garlic, and collard greens. Olive oil works great too.
Ways to Customize:
- Add fresh lime juice, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar if you enjoy a brighter acidic flavor.
- Toss in 1/2 cup of fresh red bell pepper, green bell pepper, or roasted red peppers.
- Swap out the pinto beans for black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, etc.
- If you prefer grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes over sun-dried tomatoes, make the trade.
- Add fresh herbs such as fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, or fresh basil.
- Make it more substantial by adding 1 to 2 cups of cooked brown rice.
- For a spicy kick, add a chopped jalapeño pepper or hot sauce.
How to Make Pinto Bean Salad:
Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add in the minced garlic and chopped collard greens. Continue sautéing until the greens have softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the pinto beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives (the remaining ingredients) and continue heating just until these items are warmed through. Stir in the feta cheese and lemon zest.
Transfer everything to a large bowl and serve pinto bean salad alongside your main entree, and enjoy!
Store pinto bean salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can serve this versatile salad recipe both warm and chilled! I love the idea of serving it warm initially and then enjoying the leftovers cold.
Store leftover pinto bean salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This great salad tastes even better the next day and the couple of days following preparation. For this reason, feel free to make it in advance of when you need it!
The next time you’re looking for a pinto bean side dish, or just crave something refreshing yet hearty, whip up this easy recipe!
It makes the perfect light lunch in addition to being a winning side dish. Be sure to try it both warm and cold to choose your favorite serving method!
If you enjoy bean salad recipes like this, also try some of my other personal favorite recipes.
More Bean Salad Recipes:
- Cowboy Caviar
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
- Black Bean and Avocado Salad
- Lemon Garlic Cabbage Green Bean Wild Rice Salad
- Greek Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Easy Three Bean Salad
Pinto Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small head collard greens, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives, chopped
- ½ cup feta cheese, to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic and chopped collard greens. Continue sautéing until the greens have softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the pinto beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives (the remaining ingredients) and continue heating just until these items are warmed through. Stir in the feta cheese and lemon zest.
- Transfer everything to a large bowl and serve pinto bean salad alongside your main entree, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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