This easy 4 bean salad is a fresh and nutritious salad that is perfect for summer potlucks or barbecues. It is filled with a variety of beans, crunchy vegetables and topped with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Perfect side dish - This is and easy bean salad to put together. I make it often for a tasty option when you don't feel like making pasta salads or potato salads. With only a bit of chopping and canned beans, it can be your go to take-along for all your get togethers.
- Meal prep this salad - Chop all the veggies and make the dressing. Store in refrigerator until you are ready to make the recipe.
- Make it a main dish - You can easily main this a main dish by adding your favorite protein. Grilled chicken would be a great way to have a heartier dinner salad.
- Other salads to enjoy - Julienne Salad, Classic house salad, Marinated Mushroom Salad, and Butter Lettuce Salad.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make this cold bean salad:
- black beans- mild and slightly sweet; these are a great source of protein and fiber
- kidney beans-dark red beans are also full of protein, omega 3 and iron
- garbanzo (chick peas)-soft and buttery garbanzo beans are starchy in texture and very high in protein
- green beans- I used garden fresh beans since I had an abundance at the time. But you can used canned green beans or frozen beans.
- cucumber ( I used English cucumber since it has a thinner peel and smaller seeds).
- cherry tomatoes
- lemon
- red onion
- You can also try pinto beans, yellow wax beans, lima beans, navy, great northern beans and white beans.
How to make 4 Bean Salad?
- Drain and rinse each can of beans. Draining the beans will also help remove any metallic taste from canned beans.
- Trim and cut string beans in half. Cook in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. They should should be crisp-tender. Drain in cold water. Do the same if you use lima beans. If you are using canned beans, no need to cook them.
- Mix beans and vegetables together and set aside.
- To make the vinaigrette mix the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar substitute. Whisk in the olive oil until it is fulled mixed into the balsamic vinegar mixture.
- Pour half of the dressing over the salad and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Add chopped parsley before serving.
- Taste the salad. Add more dressing before serving. Serve the leftover dressing with your meal.
Recipe Tips
If you are prepping the vegetables ahead of time, place a paper towel on bottom of them when you store in the refrigerator. This will help absorb any excess moisture and help the veggies last longer.
Leftover bean salad can be used in:
- Wrap filling - Mix with a protein and some dressing.
- Pasta Salad-Mix with cooked pasta and extra dressing for a hearty pasta salad.
- Taco salad - Add some ground beef and taco seasoning and salsa.
- Soup- Add to vegetable or chicken broth with extra herbs for a quick minestrone-style soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use canned beans for convenience. For dried beans, cook them separately as each variety may have different cooking times. Green beans should be boiled for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Raw green beans would be too crunchy and difficult to eat in a salad.
Yes, I always rinse the canned beans thoroughly to remove excess salt and the starchy canning liquid, which can affect flavor and texture.
I don't recommend freezing the salad. Freezing will change the texture of the vegetables and can make the beans mushy when thawed.
Since this salad is so refreshing and hearty, it could stand on its own. The beans make it very filling. You could add some extra protein like leftover cooked chicken or canned tuna or crab.
This reminds me of a summertime salad go-along with some grilled foods. It would be delicious with Lemon Pepper Pork Chops, Grilled Haddock, Blackened Swordfish or Buffalo chicken thighs.
Here are some main dish salads that you'll love this summer:
I'd love to know if you have made any of these salads. Please leave a comment and a rating below! 😊
4 Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy and delicious 4 bean vegetable salad is perfect for lunch or dinner. It is dressed with a lemony balsamic vinaigrette. You will love this salad especially for a cookout or summer party.
Ingredients
- (1) 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- (1) 15 oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed
- (1) 15 oz. can garbanzo (chickpeas) drained, rinsed
- ½ lb. green beans, trimmed & halved
- 1 small English (seedless) cucumber, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
Dressing ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar or sugar substitute
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- juice of 1 lemon or about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
Garnish - chopped green onions
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the green beans for about 3 minutes to crisp tender. Drain and put beans in cold water for a few minutes to stop cooking. Drain again to prepare for the salad
- Add all the beans and vegetables in a large bowl, mix together.
- Make the vinaigrette- in a large mixing bowl or a shaker cup mix the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil stirring or shaking it quickly until fully mixed together.
- Pour over salad and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- To avoid wilting, add the chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to drain and rinse the canned beans.
- The salad will need some time to marinate the flavors together. Keep in refrigerator at least an hour before serving.
- The salad will keep up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store the leftover dressing separately.
deb says
We just ate outside for the first time this Spring. I served this 4 bean salad and it was just the right crunchy and fresh salad that went perfectly with our burgers.