Mixed Bean Salad | No Oil
This classic Mixed Bean Salad is a perfect side dish for picnics and social gatherings. It’s so versatile, it can be made with just about any type of beans you have on hand.
This 4-Bean Salad can be prepared in about 20 minutes or less. The simplicity and widespread enjoyment of this salad have made it a Food for Life classic for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. This easy black bean and corn salad is also a fantastic bean salad.
We love this mixed bean salad because it’s…
- Simple to make
- Requires no cooking
- Packed with healing nutrients
- Loaded with flavor
- Delicious
Because it is such a beautiful dish, this is perfect for taking to social gatherings because it’s so easy to make and can even be made ahead. It is packed with beans, colorful bell peppers, corn, and red onions and is marinated in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients in 4-bean salad
In addition to the four kinds of beans used in this mixed bean salad, we also add corn niblets, red onion, and red bell pepper.
You really can use any type of beans that you like, so the recipe can be adjusted to your preference. These are the beans we normally use.
- Pintos
- Baby limas
- Red kidney beans
- Black-eyed peas
How to make this mixed bean salad
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
This recipe is so simple anyone can make it, and it doesn’t even require any cooking at all.
Begin by dicing up the red bell pepper and onions. I like to make pretty small chunks, but you can slice them any size you prefer.
I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.
As I mentioned before, any type of beans can be used in this recipe, and they can be fresh, frozen, or from a can. I usually buy canned pintos and red beans and then use frozen baby limas and blackeyed peas. But, make them all fresh if preferred.
For the canned pintos and red beans, I drain them in a colander and rinse them by running warm water over the top.
Frozen baby lima beans and blackeyed peas make this dish not only delicious but also beautifully colorful. Place them in the colander under warm water to defrost.
I also highly recommend using frozen corn in this recipe. Canned corn just doesn’t have the fresh taste needed. Simply run warm water over the frozen corn to defrost it.
Combine all of the veggies–beans, corn, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper–in a large mixing bowl. You’ll need it to be pretty big to have enough room for stirring.
Dressing options for this bean salad
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s original recipe calls for any bottled fat-free Italian dressing. Recently, the fat-free bottled Italian dressing I used for this began to add a tiny bit of oil. Bummer! So, I decided to try using my Oil-Free, 3-Ingredient Salad Dressing with this recipe. I tried it out with a classroom full of Food for Life participants and they loved it!
It’s so easy to make with only 3 ingredients–balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup.
Just combine the three ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together well. This stuff is excellent on garden salads, pasta salads, and bean salads.
Pour the balsamic dressing over the top of the large bowl of veggies and stir well. It can be served immediately or refrigerated to marinate for a few hours or even overnight.
*Originally published January 2016
Your Questions Answered:
- Q: How long does bean salad last? My experience has been that it keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
- Q: How do you make bean salad from scratch? Simply combine the cooked beans, corn, and diced veggies with a vinegar-based dressing and serve.
- Q: Can this recipe be frozen? I’ve never tried freezing it but see no reason why it wouldn’t do just fine.
- Q: Can I use black beans instead? Absolutely! Any beans you like can be substituted in this recipe.
Other great bean recipes
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Mixed Bean Salad | No-Oil
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing or 3-2-1 dressing
- 1-1/2 cups kidney beans 15 oz can, drained and rinsed, or fresh cooked
- 1-1/2 cups pinto beans 15 oz can, drained and rinsed, or fresh cooked
- 1-1/2 cups black eyed peas 15 oz can, drained and rinsed, or fresh cooked
- 1 10 oz pkg frozen lima beans thawed
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 medium purple onion diced
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
3-2-1 Dressing
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard or other mustard preferred
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Begin by dicing up the red bell pepper and onions. I like to make pretty small chunks, but you can slice them any size you prefer.
- If using canned pintos and red beans, I drain them in a colander and rinse them by running warm water over the top.
- Frozen baby lima bean and blackeyed peas make this dish not only delicious but also beautifully colorful. Place them in the colander under warm water to defrost.
- I also highly recommend using frozen corn in this recipe. Canned corn just doesn’t have the fresh taste needed. Simply run warm water over the frozen corn to defrost it.
- Combine all of the veggies–beans, corn, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper, salt & pepper–in a large mixing bowl. You’ll need it to be pretty big to have enough room for stirring.
- Make the balsamic dressing by whisking together the 3 ingredients.
- Pour the balsamic dressing over the top of the large bowl of veggies and stir well. It can be served immediately or refrigerated to marinate for a few hours or even overnight.
Video
Notes
- Q: How long does bean salad last? My experience has been that it keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
- Q: How do you make bean salad from scratch? Simply combine the cooked beans, corn, and diced veggies with a vinegar-based dressing and serve.
- Q: Can this recipe be frozen? I’ve never tried freezing it but see no reason why it wouldn’t do just fine.
- Q: Can I use black beans instead? Absolutely! Any beans you like can be substituted in this recipe.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
This bean salad is on the regular rotation now. I make a huge vat (not really a vat, but almost!) every week, varying the beans and vegetables. We are cutting back on meat and oil, so this is a perfect and delicious meal for us. Thank you!