Looking for an easy, colourful, crowd pleasing salad for barbecues or picnics? This slightly tangy and crunchy multi-bean salad fits the bill.

This is the best and only bean salad recipe you’ll ever need! It’s perfect for summer events, as a side dish or for packed lunches. With the added bonus of being healthy, this protein-packed salad will keep you feeling full for a long time so you’ll want to make it all the time! It’s a great substitute for other carb-filled sides.

We should all be eating more beans and this bean salad is the perfect way to do that! That’s why I always hope for leftovers so I can have great well-rounded lunch for the next day. It’s wonderful when something healthy tastes so delicious!

Marinated bean salads are always popular and this one comes together quickly. Crisp and fresh, filled with an abundance of summer vegetables: green beans, red bell peppers, cucumber, green beans and parsley. This salad also includes a can of bean medley which contains a variety of red kidney beans, chickpeas, Romano beans and black-eyed beans. A light zesty dressing mixes up in a jiffy with mostly pantry ingredients to finish off the salad.

Ingredients needed

Fresh green beans
Tin of bean medley
Red bell pepper
Cucumber
Green onions
Parsley
Red wine vinegar
Lemon
Oil
Honey
Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper

How to make

Prepare all the salad ingredients, including trimming the green beans to 1” pieces
Blanch green beans in a medium saucepan for 1 ½ to 2 minutes just until crisp and tender
Transfer green beans to an ice water bath to stop the cooking, drain then pat dry
Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl

Add green beans, bean medley, red pepper, cucumber, green onions and parsley into a large bowl
Pour dressing into the bowl and mix well to combine, cover and refrigerate

Tips for making multi-bean salad

Make sure to rinse and drain the canned beans really well
Don’t overcook the green beans – they should remain crisp
Don’t skip transferring the green beans to an ice water bath to keep them bright green and crispy
Red wine vinegar is the best choice for this salad, but if you don’t have any on hand, then apple cider vinegar or white vinegar will work too
The salad can be made early in the day or a day ahead – but keep the dressing separate and toss the salad a couple of hours before serving to ensure the green beans keep their bright green colour
When leftovers are refrigerated, the bright green colour of the green beans will fade due to the acidity in the vinegar and lemon juice – but the salad will still be perfectly good to eat!
The salad can easily be doubled or even tripled for bigger events

Brighten up your summer event and place this salad on the centre of the table. I guarantee it will be a big hit!

Other salads you might also like:

Multi-Bean Salad

Multi-bean salad filled with green beans, red bell peppers, cucumber, green onions, parsley and a can of bean medley tossed in a zesty dressing.

Servings 6

Ingredients

Salad

2 cups 1” sliced fresh green beans
540 mL tin bean medley rinsed and drained
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced English or Persian cucumber unpeeled
½ cup sliced green onions both white and green parts
¼ cup freshly chopped curly or flat leaf parsley

Dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons liquid honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Trim green beans and slice into 1” pieces. Place sliced green beans in a medium saucepan and add just enough cold water to cover. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling cook beans for 1 ½ to 2 minutes just until crisp and tender. Do not overcook.
Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl half way full with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Drain the beans and immediately transfer to the ice-water bath until completely cooled. Drain again and pat dry slightly with paper towel or a kitchen towel.
In a large bowl add green beans, bean medley, red pepper, cucumber, green onions and chopped parsley. Stir lightly to combine.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients, red wine vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Set the dressing aside if making the salad ahead. About 2 – 3 hours before serving, pour the dressing over the salad, stir well to combine, cover and refrigerate.
Note: reserving the dressing separately and tossing the salad together just a couple of hours before serving ensures the green beans stay bright green. The acidity in the vinegar and lemon juice alters the colour of the green beans over a long period of time.