Crisp, green, and so easy to make, this Mixed Bean Salad is sure to become a summertime go-to! Fresh green beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans are tossed with onions, cucumbers, celery, and the simplest vinaigrette.
Easy salads that showcase fresh ingredients are a must for summer, and when they include heartier ingredients, such as beans, it becomes almost a full meal!
This easy mixed bean salad is a prime example and one we make often!
It’s great as a side to grilled chicken or grilled pork chops and requires very little effort!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Fresh veggies. I recommend using fresh green beans for the best possible results. Celery and cucumber add a crisp fresh element to this salad.
- Canned beans. I’m using a combination of chickpeas and red kidney beans for this mixed bean salad, but you could also use black beans, cannellini beans, or butterbeans.
- Vinaigrette. Extra virgin olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic, and honey are the stars of this homemade vinaigrette. Feel free to double the recipe and save the excess for use on a green salad.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Top tip
I recommend making this mixed bean salad ahead of time since it takes time to allow the flavors in the red wine heavy vinaigrette to penetrate the beans and veggies. Let it sit for at least two hours in the fridge, but ideally overnight.
More simple salads
If you’re looking for more easy but delicious salads, give these recipes a try!
- Italian white bean salad – with cannellini and butter beans, tomatoes, and red onion.
- Cucumber salad – deli-style salad with dill and onion.
- Chickpea arugula salad – with lemon and parmesan.
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Easy Mixed Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the bean salad
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 pound green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 medium English cucumber seeded and chopped
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup minced flat leaf Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water (2 tablespoons per gallon) to boil and add the cut green beans. Cook until bright green but still crunchy (about 3 minutes). Shock the beans in ice water or run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Place the green beans into a large bowl with the the cucumber, onions, beans, and celery.
- Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if required.
- Pour the vinaigrette onto the salad and mix well. The salad is best chilled in the fridge overnight but can be eaten right away. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any type of beans can be used.
- It’s best to refrigerate overnight so that the flavors meld together and become more intense.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So many kinds of yummy!
Traveling right now, but looking forward to being in my kitchen again to recreate you delicious dishes!
Hi Laurie, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Looks great