Fabulous 4 Bean Fiesta Salad

Fabulous 4 Bean Fiesta Salad 🌱 A festive, flavorful and colorful combo of delicious beans, peppers, red onion, corn and cilantro in a light & zesty citrus dressing. Perfect for potlucks, patio parties, picnics & outdoor entertaining! GF. Oil-free option.

Many years ago, long before I became a vegan recipe blogger, I was on a mission to find inspiration for an easy, nutritious and delicious vegan dish to throw together for a potluck. I wanted to make a salad with protein that didn’t require cooking, so I searched bean salad recipes. That’s when a ran across a Mexican Bean Salad recipe with tons of reviews on Allrecipes.

I decided to give it a go. I liked it enough that I wanted to try it again, but with some alterations. First, I increased the variety of beans. The original recipe is a 3 bean salad, with black beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans. I decided to make mine a 4 bean salad, so I used pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans. It also included far more onion than I like, so I cut it in half. Instead of green bell pepper, which tends to be bitter, I opted for sweet red and orange bell peppers.

The dressing is what I tweaked the most. The original Mexican Bean Salad recipe specifies ½ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons sugar. That’s way more oil than I would ever use, so I reduced the oil by 75% and replaced the sugar with just 1 tbsp maple syrup. I also cut the salt by two-thirds and adjusted the seasonings to my liking.

It turned out fantastic! The combination of tastes and textures are so incredibly good. Soft chewy beans, sweet corn, crisp fresh peppers, red onion and cilantro tossed in a mildly spicy, citrusy & lightly sweet dressing creates a flavor fiesta in your mouth.

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Why I love this recipe

• It’s absolutely delicious!
• Many of the ingredients are items you likely have on hand
• Contains lots of fiber, protein, Vitamin C & other healthy nutrients
• The perfect dish for potlucks, patio parties, picnics and outdoor entertaining!
• Easy to substitute with other ingredients as needed
• So colorful and appealing – it’s a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 4 (15 oz) cans of beans – drained and rinsed in water. I use black beans, kidney beans, pinto & garbanzo beans (chickpeas). You can also use cannellini or northern white beans.
• 2 medium bell peppers – seeded & diced. I prefer red, orange or yellow (they’re sweeter than green peppers).
• 1 cup corn kernels – fresh or frozen. It’s ok to add the corn while frozen, as it will thaw quickly. The corn should be a bit crisp, not cooked or too soft.
• ½ red onion – finely diced
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro – chopped or torn into pieces.
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar – You can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp lime juice – fresh (approx. one lime)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice – fresh
• 1 clove garlic – minced. Substitute with ⅛ tsp garlic powder if needed.
• 1 tbsp maple syrup – Substitute with sugar or agave nectar if you prefer.
• 1 tsp cumin – 🥕Note: Cumin has a strong flavor. Decrease or increase amount per your taste preference. I find 1 teaspoon to be plenty.
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp chili powder

🥕Add-in options

• Chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
• Black olives
• Lime or lemon zest
• Green onions
• Jalapeños – seeded & diced
• Avocado – add right before serving

🥕Oil-free option – If you prefer to make the dressing without oil, simply omit the oil.

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine beans, peppers, corn and onion. Set cilantro aside.

Prepare Dressing

• In a jam jar, salad dressing shaker, cruet or small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, minced garlic, maple syrup, cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder. Adjust seasonings to taste if needed.

FAQ

• How long does bean salad last in refrigerator? This salad will last up to 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container, that is, if you don’t gobble it up sooner! I like it best within the first 24 hours while the veggies are crispest & brightest in color.
• Why do beans need to be rinsed before using? In many recipes, there is no need to rinse canned beans. For this 4 bean salad, I like to rinse the beans with water to remove the excess liquid because it can alter the color of the salad.
• What are the best beans to use in bean salad? I love to add a variety of contrasting flavors and color. My favorites are kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and cannellini beans.
• How do you make bean salad from scratch? With the exception of the canned beans, this recipe is basically prepared from scratch. If you have the time and would prefer to use dried beans, you’ll need to prepare them in separate batches. Cooking assorted beans together can cause the varieties of flavors and colors to absorb into the other beans. I find it’s a lot quicker and easier simply using canned beans.

If you love this salad, be sure to check out these other delish dishes!

• Mom’s Vegan Macaroni Salad
• Vegan Israeli Couscous Salad
• Old Fashioned Vegan Potato Salad
• Easy Lemon Artichoke Orzo Salad
• Southwestern Quinoa Salad

very vegan 🌱 very good