đź“‹ Easy Canned Bean Medley Salad recipe
This 5 minute healthy canned bean medley salad is the easiest and quickest BBQ side dish! Made with canned beans, it only has 6 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to make. It's my go-to summer salad recipe and it's Weight Watchers friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.
Servings 10 people
Calories 54kcal
Ingredients
- 2 -14 oz cans cut green beans drained and rinsed
- 3 -19 oz -cans of beans (I use a mixed bean medley with red kidney beans, chick peas, romano beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas,and great northern white beans) drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ÂĽ cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Pour everything into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Serve.2 -14 oz cans cut green beans, 3 -19 oz -cans of beans (I use a mixed bean medley with red kidney beans, chick peas, romano beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas,and great northern white beans), 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon white granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon olive oil, ÂĽ cup red wine vinegar
Notes
Expert Recipe tips:
-
- Rinse beans thoroughly. Rinse the canned beans well under cold water until the foam disappears—this removes excess salt, improves texture, and prevents the salad from tasting "tinny."
-
- Let it marinate. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving so the beans can absorb the tangy-sweet dressing and develop more flavor.
-
- Use high-quality olive oil. Since this is a no-cook salad, the quality of the oil makes a big difference—extra virgin olive oil adds richness and smoothness to the dressing.
-
- Balance the acidity. If the dressing tastes too tangy, stir in an extra teaspoon of sugar or a touch of maple syrup to mellow it out.
-
- Adjust for salt. Because beans and mustard can vary in saltiness, taste the salad before adding any additional salt—chances are, you won’t need much or any at all.
-
- Don’t overmix. Stir gently to avoid mashing the beans. Use a large spoon or silicone spatula and fold rather than stir to maintain a pretty presentation and texture.
-
- Add crunch last-minute. If including fresh vegetables like bell peppers or red onions, add them just before serving to keep them crisp.
-
- Use a variety of textures. Mixing in a few different bean types beyond the medley—like black beans or cannellini beans—can enhance both flavor and visual appeal.
-
- Serve at room temperature for potlucks. This salad is safe at room temperature for a few hours, making it ideal for picnics or BBQs. Just keep it out of direct sunlight and chill any leftovers promptly.
-
- Brighten with herbs. A handful of fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill can add a fresh, vibrant finish just before serving
- Sugar- you can use agave instead of sugar if you prefer (it's vegan and gluten-free) or maple syrup
- Red wine vinegar - you can use balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar as a substitute, but I don't recommend white wine vinegar (I tried it and the flavor is not strong enough)
- Oil- you can use vegetable oil or canola instead of olive (although extra virgin olive oil is best)
- Beans - you can use different types of beans. *The canned bean mixture I use has red kidney beans, chick peas (aka garbanzo beans), romano beans, and great northern beans. You could also use black beans, navy beans, pinto beans, or cannellini beans
- Add-ins -red onion, bell peppers, fresh herbs
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
