Ridiculously Easy Bean Salad

on

For picnics, cook-ahead meals, and outdoor gatherings, this traditional bean salad is ideal. It is made with beans (either canned or home-cooked), onion, cucumber slices, capers, parsley, and a sour dressing. Simple and delectable

Our Favorite Bean Salad

My go-to dish while entertaining (especially in the summer) is bean salad. I frequently find myself preparing these for weekday make-ahead meals. Any beans you have in your cupboard can be used to make this straightforward bean salad. Use canned or freshly prepared beans; for instructions on how to prepare black beans and chickpeas, check our recipes.

We utilized chickpeas, pinto beans, and black beans in our photographs. You may substitute kidney beans and canned or blanched green beans for the black beans and pinto beans to make a more conventional three bean salad. Or simply add them and make a five bean salad! This salad is incredibly adaptable, as I already mentioned. Use what you already have in your kitchen.

The dressing only needs a quick whisk of red wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and a few dried herbs because I love keeping the tastes in this salad simple. I use dried oregano, although Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning would also work well.

Our tips for making the best bean salad

  • Before combining the other salad ingredients, drain and rinse any canned beans with cold water. Since the liquid in the container contains starch from the beans, it can taste a little salty and make the salad dressing appear cloudy.
  • Dress the salad with fresh herbs. I add a lot since I adore fresh parsley. Other herbs can also be used. Try using cilantro, dill, tarragon, mint, and basil. Since tarragon is a little more pungent than other fine herbs, add it to taste.
  • To balance the texture of the beans, add some crunch. Cucumber is a staple, but other great crunchy vegetables to include are bell peppers, jicama, celery, and fennel.
  • To give the beans time to soak up the dressing, chill the salad in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
  • The salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (perhaps longer).

Bean Salad Ingredients

For the salad

  • 3 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed or use 4 ½ cups cooked beans
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 medium cucumber, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons drained capers
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) finely chopped fresh parsley, see notes
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, see notes

For the dressing

  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Chopped onions should be added to a small basin with cold water on top. After waiting for five minutes, drain and rinse. To prevent the onion from overpowering the salad, this step aids in removing some of its "raw" flavor.
  2. Concurrently, combine the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in the bottom of a big bowl. After tasting the dressing, add extra salt or pepper as needed. Add one to two teaspoons of honey or maple syrup to the dressing to balance out the vinegar if it feels too harsh.
  3. Add the beans, the onion, the cucumber, the capers, the parsley, and the dry oregano. To give the beans time to marinate in the dressing, toss thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  4. The salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days when sealed in a container.

Notes

  • We utilized pinto, black, and chickpea beans in our photographs. For the salad, you can use these or other cooked or canned beans.
  • Honey/Maple Syrup: The amount of vinegar you use will determine how vinegary the dressing is. Simply mix in a little honey or maple syrup to balance this out.
  • Fresh herbs: Parsley is a traditional addition to this salad, but other excellent herbs also taste great. Try tarragon, basil, mint, dill, or cilantro. Since tarragon has a stronger flavor, use a little less than what is specified in the recipe above.
  • Dried herbs: I like using dried oregano in this salad, but you may also use other herb mixtures. Try a dried spice blend made with Italian, Mediterranean, or French spices (like Herbes de Provence).
  • Nutritional data The calorie counts listed below are approximations. To calculate rough numbers, we used the USDA database.

Comments

Post a Comment