Fabulous 4 Bean Fiesta Salad

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 tablespoon 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.

🥕Why you should try 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!

Ingredient Notes

🥕 See the printable recipe below for quantities & details.

• Beans - 4 varieties - I use black beans, kidney beans, pinto & garbanzo beans (chickpeas). You can also use cannellini or northern white beans.
• Bell peppers - I prefer red, orange or yellow (they're sweeter than green peppers).
• 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.
• Red onion - finely diced
• Cilantro - fresh, chopped or torn into pieces.
• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar - You can substitute with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• Lime juice - fresh
• Lemon juice - fresh
• Garlic - minced. Substitute with garlic powder if needed.
• Maple syrup - Substitute with sugar or agave nectar if you prefer.
• Cumin - Cumin has a strong flavor. Decrease or increase amount per your taste preference. I find 1 teaspoon to be plenty.
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 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 it.

Instructions

Wash peppers and remove seeds. Dice peppers and onion into small pieces.

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

Can you believe that color? It's like a painter's palette!

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.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to thoroughly combine. When ready to serve, add chopped cilantro.