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I know what you might be thinking: *beans are boring* but I am here to show you how delicious and fun these bean salad ideas can be! They’re 32 of our most vibrant, zesty, and insanely delicious bean salad recipes that are an easy and affordable way to create weekly meal prep, lunches, light dinners, and more, that are full of fiber, flavor, and creativity.
Bean Salads
These bean salads will completely change the way you look at a can of chickpeas or black beans. From creamy avocado white bean salad to my famous summer bean salsa with corn, these recipes are fast, fresh, and perfect for meal prep or your next get together.
Use canned beans or cook your own beans, choose the bean type you like best (or what’s on sale!) and get to making these salads!
Whether you’re trying to eat more plants or just looking to stretch your grocery budget much further these days, it’s time to fall in love with beans!
Why Should You Eat More Beans?
Many people like to eat beans as a source of protein, and while beans do contain a good amount of “bonus” protein, the real star of the show is the FIBER found in those beans! Most adults and children in the US need to eat more fiber for better overall health. Beans are the easiest, most affordable, and tastiest way to make it happen!
Beans are heart-healthy, fiber-rich, and a good source of plant-based protein. They also contain important vitamins and minerals. Why aren’t we eating more of them?!
32 Bean Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Bean salads are great for meal prepping, make-ahead side dishes (for your next grill out), easy lunches, and light dinners. They’re cheap, versatile, and full of nutrients. So check out this list and find your favorite recipe or make several to keep your meals interesting. Hope you enjoy!
*All of these bean salad recipes stay good in the fridge for at least 4 days, which makes them perfect for weekly meal prep.
1. Easy Marinated Bean Salad
Delight your taste buds with a variety of flavors and textures and impress your guests with our Easy Marinated Bean Salad! It’s packed with nutritious ingredients like butter beans, olives, fennel, and fresh parsley plus it comes together in just 10 minutes.
2. Crunchy Veggie & Bean Chopped Salad
Our Crunchy Veggie & Bean Chopped Salad is a perfect combination of textures and tastes, featuring creamy black beans, crunchy veggies, and a tangy, turmeric-infused dressing. The star of the show is the humble black bean, which provides a boost of plant-based protein, fiber, and folate. It’s a vibrant and nutritious salad that’s bursting with flavor and packed with health benefits!
3. Chickpea Chopped Salad
Chopped Mediterranean vegetables, chick peas and a classic Greek dressing make this chopped chickpea salad simple and flavorful. Perfect for meal prep or a light lunch.
4. White Bean Avocado Salad
This White Bean Avocado Salad is a powerhouse of nutrition, featuring creamy avocados, protein-rich white beans, and an array of fresh vegetables. Dive into a nutrient-dense and deliciously easy salad that’s perfect for any occasion!
5. Marinated 3 Bean Salad
Okay….This 3 bean salad is completely ADDICTIVE with all its tangy flavors and textures. Our CFC Marinated Bean Salad is FABULOUS for parties, BBQ’S, and especially Holiday Celebrations (think: double/triple this recipe) because you can make it the day before, set it in the fridge…then simply pull it out and serve at party time!
6. Greek Chickpea Salad
This is a weekend crowd pleaser! And with lots of summer BBQ’s and family fun, you’re gonna need food that’s quick and easy to make. Our Greek Chickpea Salad is full of fresh veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and olives, then sprinkled with feta and drizzled with a bright tangy dressing.
7. White Bean Tuna Salad
An incredibly delicious Mediterranean Inspired spin on a quick and healthy tuna salad with beans! MOST of these ingredients were just sitting in my pantry begging to be used which also makes this a very budget-friendly idea to have on hand. Plus it’s super easy and quick to make when you are dealing with a crazy week.
8. Creamy White Bean + Crisp Chopped Veggie Salad
Creamy White Bean + Crisp Chopped Veggie Salad is a SUPER EASY, bright, fresh side dish for those backyard parties and BBQ’S happening this season! I love that this salad only gets tastier a few hours later because the flavors have time to meld into each other – which makes for the BEST type of dish for get-togethers! Make hours in advance so you actually get to relax and enjoy your company. It also makes for an EXCELLENT next-day lunch solution or You can easily double or triple this for larger groups.
9. Easy Breezy Summertime Bean Salad
We LOVE chopped veggie salads at our house. That’s probably pretty obvious because we sure have a lot of them here on the CFC website. But we ESPECIALLY adore them throughout the Summer when produce is available locally and tastes SO FRESH! This Summertime White Bean Salad is completely Dairy-Free, Gluten-free, and PACKED with garden-fresh veggies. Nothing complicated at all here, even the tasty light dressing is made with just a few simple ingredients. Oh yes, and of course, it’s absolutely delicious!
10. Quick Three Bean Salad
Not only is this three-bean salad really tasty (and nutrient-packed!) BUT it’s made from ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and freezer…which means it’s a very cost-effective way to entertain. I love the fact that this salad only gets tastier a few hours later because the flavors have time to meld into each other – which makes for the BEST type of dish for get-togethers! Make hours in advance so you actually get to relax and enjoy your company.
11. Cauliflower + Chickpeas Salad
Here’s a creative NEW cauliflower chickpea salad idea to keep things interesting around the dinner table! Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, arugula, cabbage, and collard greens, are loaded with fiber, folate, vitamin C, E, K and will keep you full longer.
12. Lemony Chickpea + Olive Chopped Salad
If you’re looking for a simple dish to bring to that get-together or potluck you’re going to love this lemon chickpea and olive salad! Briney olives combined with crisp veggies, fresh herbs, and creamy chickpeas, then drizzled with a very simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. It’s a really great combo that gets better the longer it marinates in the fridge!
13. Fresh Chopped Veggie + Bean Salad
This Fresh Chopped Veggie + Bean Salad is made with one of my favorite ingredients, poblano peppers. It gives the salad a bit of a taste twist and they can often be found on sale. The mix of black beans and chick peas with chili flakes gives this chopped salad a great texture and a bit of spice.
14. Black Bean Chopped Salad
Chopped salads are such an easy way to get loads of veggies into your diet while making something that tastes great to eat! This Black Bean Salad is no exception. Filled with beans for fiber and protein, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onion, it’s got fantastic texture. Then to take it over the top, we added garlic, lime juice, and jalapenos! Talk about a flavor explosion!
15. Chickpea + Tomato + Avocado Salad
Who needs a big bowl of lettuce when you can eat something like this Chickpea + Tomato + Avocado Salad instead? It’s bright and tangy, and filled with flavors and textures. Plus we added a bit of sweetness and crunch by adding pomegranate seeds which are also a superfood!
16. Mango Black Bean Salad with Sunflower Seeds + Citrusy Dressing
I came up with this Mango Black Bean Salad with Sunflower Seeds because I’m pretty obsessed with sunflower seeds and often add them to my salads. They’re a tasty way to add some crunch! Also in this salad you’ll find diced Mango which is low in calories but high in nutrients like vitamin C, which aids immunity and iron absorption among other things!
17. Black Bean Pico De Gallo
Whether you call it black bean Pico de Gallo or black bean salsa, you know there are tons of different versions of this recipe. Some use jalapenos, some add seasonings, and some are just like this one, a fresh, easy to make, mixture that is full of crisp vegetables and flavor. So make it this way or make your own, anyway, you’re gonna love it.
18. Feta & Chickpea Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
This one is an oldie, but a goodie! What makes this Feta & Chickpea Salad absolutely wonderful is its garlic dressing! It’s made using freshly minced garlic and adding it to a light vinaigrette for an absolute flavor punch.
19. Spicy Roasted Chickpea Salad
If you’ve never tried roasted chickpeas before, you’re missing out! So crunchy and satisfying…like chips or croutons. Great for snacking and sprinkling on top of salads like THIS one! This Spicy Roasted Chickpea Salad is incredibly crunchy from the roasted chickpeas, and full of protein from the feta and eggs! I can tell you now, you’re going to feel full for a while after eating this bean salad!
20. CFC’s FAVORITE Homemade Five Bean Salad
So often when we talk about beans we are thinking pinto beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, black beans, and white beans. But what about green beans and golden wax beans! This Five Bean Salad combines them all then brings it all together with a garlic and red wine vinegar vinaigrette! Oh and did I mention the capers? Okay….This salad is completely ADDICTIVE with all its tangy flavors and textures.
21. Cherry Tomato White Bean Salad
This is a Cherry Tomato White Bean Salad with a bit of a fresh Caprese, or margarita flair and light tasting creamy cannellini beans. YUM! You’re going to want to double or Triple up on this recipe to bring to all of your BBQ’s and parties this weekend because it’s a total crowd favorite!
22. Black Bean Quinoa Chopped Salad
Our Black Bean Quinoa Chopped Salad is colorful and PERFECT for parties, tonight’s dinner, or even meal prep! I typically quadruple this recipe for our family of 8 (and always a few friends). Haha…yes, that’s a lot, but I do recommend doubling it because it goes fast!
23. Avocado + Black Bean Salad
What’s not to love? Black beans, avocados, crunchy cucumbers, and a bright vinaigrette. Then we topped the Avocado + Black Bean Salad with sunflower seeds for even more crunch.
24. Greek Chickpea Salad + Tzatziki
Chopped salads are versatile and satisfying, and when you add beans of any kind, it just elevates the amount of protein and fiber. Take this Greek Chickpea Salad + Tzatziki Dressing. It’s full of Greek vegetables and flavors like olives and feta cheese. But then the creamy tzatziki takes the whole thing over the top. You definitely won’t be sorry you tried it!
25. Quinoa Red Bean Veggie Salsa
Call it a quinoa bowl, call it a chopped salad, call it what you want, but this Quinoa Red Bean Veggie Salsa will leave you speechless! It’s a super-flavorful side dish perfect for your BBQ, a meal-prep idea, a quick lunch, OR use it as a dip and scoop it up with high-quality homemade tortilla chips.
26. Lemony-Layered Bean Salad
Lemony-Layered Bean Salad is a great party platter because it’s fun and versatile. Let people scoop it onto a lettuce salad, eat it as a side dish, or scoop it up with tortilla chips. Any way you use it, it’s an easy dish with loads of flavor and nutrition.
27. The Famous Black Bean Summer Salsa
It’s The Famous Black Bean Summer Salsa everyone loves, with a SECRET healthy ingredient! KALE! When I came up with this recipe it was completely by accident. I had forgotten to buy cilantro (which is the normal ingredient). All I had was kale, so I threw it in and voila…a star was born. Nobody even noticed the salad had kale instead of cilantro. And everyone was still asking for the recipe!
28. Chickpea Chopped Salad + Creamy Avocado Dressing
As a young girl, chickpeas kind of freaked me out. They were weird shaped, and I didn’t want to eat them. As a grown woman, I’m obsessed with chickpeas. If they are in my salad, then it’s 10x better! This SIMPLE Chickpea Chopped Salad + Creamy Avocado Dressing combines many of my grown woman favorite things, and comes together in 15 minutes! Bring it to the next BBQ!
29. Summer Peas and Green Bean Salad
This Summer Peas and Green Bean Salad is bursting with fresh ingredients. Fresh peas, green beans, and chickpeas are tossed with cherry tomatoes and a tangy homemade dressing. It’s the perfect companion for all the summer parties, and BBQ’S!
30. Greek Maroulosalata (Green Salad With Feta And Dill)
This lemon and dill salad is a protein-rich twist on a traditional Greek Lettuce Salad (Maroulosalata) which combines leafy green lettuce and sliced green onions with feta, then everything is drizzled with a lemon dill vinaigrette. It’s a healthy side dish that’s ready in just 10 minutes. Perfect with grilled chicken, lamb, fish, or your favorite Mediterranean meals.
31. Loaded Greek Chickpea Chopped Salad
My favorite part of this Loaded Greek Chickpea Chopped Salad is the kalamata olives. Of all the olives, they are by far the best. Then you throw in some feta, and cucumbers drizzled in Greek vinaigrette and, well, I could eat this for days! Good thing it’s great for meal prep!
32. Strawberry + Avocado + Chickpea Caprese Salad
Have you ever thought to throw a few strawberries into your savory salad? Well, that’s what we did here and I can’t tell you enough how delicious it is. We actually used strawberries instead of tomatoes, then created a strawberry bean salad inspired by a “caprese”! The sweet strawberries complement the salty balls of mozzarella, and it is all finished off with the creaminess of the avocados and beans. So delicious!
Fall in Love with Bean Salads
Beans aren’t just pantry basics! They’re vibrant, nutritious, and endlessly delicious ingredients that can transform your meals from ordinary to extraordinary. With these 32 flavorful bean salad recipes, you have everything you need to bring fiber, protein, and a burst of creativity to your table all week long. Whether you’re meal prepping for busy days, trying to eat more affordably, or simply craving a fresh, easy dish, beans will be your new best friend. So grab a can (or cook a batch yourself), toss together one of these salads, and discover just how exciting beans can be! Your taste buds, and your health, will thank you.
Did you try any of these Bean Salad recipes? If so, it would mean so much to me if you would comment and rate this recipe post!
🩷Rachel
FAQ’s
Should I rinse canned beans for bean salad?
If you choose to use canned beans for these salads, be sure to rinse them very well to remove the majority of the sodium.
Are canned beans or dried beans better?
Whether you use canned or dried beans in your recipes is a personal preference. I like to make my own beans from dried in order to cut down on the sodium levels and keep BPA’s out of my food as much as possible, but I also know that canned beans are fast and affordable. So pick what’s right for you.
What are good additions to a bean salad?
Beans are the perfect “blank slate” ingredient due to their mild flavor. Therefore, just about any ingredient will complement or enhance them. Try any vegetable from kale to celery to purple cabbage to create texture. Your dressing could be something creamy or vinegar based, and even trying things that are “outside the box” like strawberries can be fun and creative. I think you’ll find beans are both forgiving and versatile.
What are common bean salad mistakes?
Some common mistakes when using beans in a salad are 1)not rinsing them, 2) not using bold flavors with them since they are somewhat bland, and 3) undercooking the beans if you make them from dried.
How to make a tasty bean salad?
To make a tasty bean salad, be sure to use ingredients that are natural, healthy, and taste great to you.
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