5 Bean Salad Recipe
This 5 bean salad recipe is a bright & fresh side, with chickpeas, kidney beans, green beans, wax beans, and black beans in an easy vinaigrette. Ready in about 15 minutes, this simple salad can be made with canned beans and a few fresh ingredients.
A fantastic salad to entertain with, or bring to a potluck or cookout. This bean salad is loaded with crunch in each bite, and is easy to make, vegetarian, and high in plant-based protein.
I absolutely love bean salad, and the more beans the better! Bean salad makes a great side dish and can even be a light lunch, it’s a family favorite. This recipe makes a fantastic side for a large gathering, your next potluck, or family outing!
While 3 bean salad is more common, I like adding yellow wax beans and black beans for extra color and flavor. See my note below for more bean options you can add in! No boring bean salad here, you can use different beans to make your favorite version of this bean salad, with it’s delicious dressing.
This Old Fashioned 5 Bean Salad Recipe Is:
- Sweet
- Tangy
- Earthy
- Hearty
- Protein Packed
- Fiber Rich
- A Perfect Side Dish
Canned Beans VS Homemade
You can make this easy bean salad recipe using cans of beans, or cook them from scratch.
While I love the convenience of canned beans, I usually cook dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker – the texture is better and dried beans are less expensive than canned. I use an 8-Quart Instant Pot which is larger than the standard model so I can batch cook more at a time.
If you don’t already have one, the Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans fast, no soaking required! While canned beans are convenient, they are often high in sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no salt added variety so you can control the amount of salt in your dish.
Frozen green beans or yellow/wax beans are also a great option.
If you are a bean lover, think about investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.
What’s In This Classic Four Bean Salad Recipe?
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Green Peppers
- Fresh Green Beans – I would recommend fresh or frozen over canned.
- Yellow Wax Beans – again, good fresh or frozen beans give a great texture.
- No Salt Added Chickpeas: one of my favorite pantry staple ingredients! You can use canned chickpeas (I’d highly recommend a low sodium or no salt version), or you can make your own chickpeas from scratch in the Instant Pot.
- Black Beans
- Kidney Beans: Like chickpeas, I only use no salt or low sodium beans in my pantry – using low sodium beans lets you control the amount of salt in your dish for better flavor! You can use dark red kidney beans, or light red kidney beans for this dish.
- Extra virgin Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar – White vinegar, lemon juice, or white wine vinegar could also be used as a substitute.
- Whole Grain Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, I love this fancy Whole Grain Mustard. Using a really good mustard makes all the difference, so don’t use the basic yellow stuff for this recipe.
Bean Options, Additions, and Variations
For a spicier bean salad, you can add red onion or green onions.
Want to swap out one of the beans in the recipe? No problem! You can add many types of beans to this recipe instead: navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, or even lima beans would be excellent additions.
I used green bell peppers in my recipe, but you can use red pepper or even a yellow or orange variety too.
Top with feta cheese and fresh dill for a Mediterranean style bean salad.
How do I Make Homemade Bean Salad with 5 Beans?
- Prep the beans – if you are using fresh or frozen green or yellow beans. Place them in boiling water and cook for 7 minutes until beans are soft. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked chickpeas and kidney beans with the green and yellow beans. Chop the bell pepper into small bite sized pieces, and add to the bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl as well.
- In a pint sized mason jar: juice the lemons, and combine with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Stir or shake (with a lid sealing the dressing) until the dressing is a smooth consistency and pour over the bean salad.
- Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cool or at room temperature.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Luckily, this easy recipe takes even better the next day.
Easy Chickpea Recipes Anytime
This recipe calls for chickpeas aka garbanzo beans. This are one of my favorite beans – high in plant-based protein, and are high in fiber! I’d recommend using a no-salt-added variety to keep the overall sodium content down, so you can control how much sodium is in the dish. Canned chickpeas taste great, so if you are using canned chickpeas, just watch the sodium or added salt content.
This is one of my favorite recipes to use chickpeas in, but there are many great dish options for chick peas out there. Browse all our chickpea recipes here!
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free.
- This recipe is gluten free – just ensure that any canned ingredient is certified gluten free before adding.
More Modern Bean Recipes You’ll Love
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Carrot Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
Fasolatha, Greek White Bean Soup
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5 Bean Salad
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the 5-Bean Salad
- 2 cups green beans chopped
- 1 cup yellow wax beans
- 2 14-ounce cans No-Salt-Added Chickpeas drained
- 2 14-ounce cans dark red kidney beans drained
- 1 14-ounce cans black beans drained
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
For the Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
Instructions
- Prep the beans – if you are using fresh or frozen green or yellow beans. Place them in boiling water and cook for 7 minutes until beans are soft. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans with the green and yellow beans. Chop the bell pepper into small bite sized pieces, and add to the bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl as well.
- In a pint sized mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients: apple cider vinegar, olive oil, whole grain mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir or shake (with a lid sealing the dressing) until the dressing is a smooth consistency and pour over the bean salad.
- Cover the salad and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cool or at room temperature.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Luckily, this easy recipe takes even better the next day.
Notes
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free.
- This recipe is gluten free – just ensure that any canned ingredient is certified gluten free before adding.
Nutrition
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Love the much needed fiber and protein in this wonderful recipe. Truly like the versatile dressing as well