Everyone's Favorite 5 Bean Salad

This tangy-sweet 5 bean salad is the perfect side dish for a barbecue, cookout, potluck, or weeknight dinner. It’s high in protein and fiber from five types of canned beans and has delicious flavors from a sweet vinaigrette dressing. 

It’s an easy, inexpensive salad that everyone loves.

this …

Why This Recipe Works

• 5 bean salad is ridiculously easy to make because nearly everything comes from a can. Just drain, rinse, and toss.
• This make-ahead recipe tastes best the next day, so it’s perfect for when you want to prep ahead. If you're making it for a cookout, with my crock pot baked beans the day before too.
• It’s a healthy recipe packed with 8 g of protein and 8 g of fiber in every serving. And although the vinaigrette is sweet, it only has a bit of sugar. 
• It’s a salad or side dish that everyone loves. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, so it’s a great option for those with dietary restrictions.
• It’s inexpensive, doubles easily, and feeds a crowd as a side salad.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make marinated bean salad. I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.

Canned beans. I use canned, unsalted:

• Dark red kidney beans (they’re more firm than light kidney beans)
• Black beans 
• Navy beans (also called small white beans)
• Cut green beans
• Cut wax beans

I like the combination of kidney, black, and navy beans because they all have a similar, firm texture. I don’t recommend cannellini beans because they’re too soft. They work better in a white bean dip or creamy soups like fennel and white bean soup.

Onion. I recommend a sweet onion like Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui Sweet, or Bermuda. They're all similar and labeled “sweet onion” at the grocery store. Sweet onions have less sulfur, giving them a milder, sweeter flavor than yellow, white, or red onions.  

Olive oil. Olive oil is my go-to oil for cooking or salad dressings. It’s the healthiest oil available, backed up by lots of research. It’s also one of the primary reasons the Mediterranean diet provides so many health benefits.

Vinegar. I’ve experimented with various types of vinegar, but my favorite for this recipe is plain old white vinegar. I prefer the clean flavor and the acidity it offers.

Sugar. Traditionally, this salad is very sweet, but I’ve cut the sugar back significantly. It’s still sweet but less so than other marinated bean salad recipes or prepared ones that come in a jar. Feel free to play around with the amount of sugar to suit your taste.

Substitutions and Variations

• Other beans you can use instead of kidney, black, or navy beans include garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, or pinto beans. 
• Swap canned French-cut green beans for cut green beans. 
• Add some Dijon mustard to the dressing.
• Swap a monkfruit sweetener for the sugar, or use a half-and-half blend of sugar and zero-calorie sweetener.
• Other add-ins include chopped green pepper, grilled corn, and celery.
• Give it a spicy southwest flavor with minced jalapeno and a handful of chopped cilantro.
• Give it a Mediterranean flavor with chopped roasted red pepper, chopped Greek olives, oregano, and feta cheese.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the dressing. Combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar or measuring cup. Whisk it to combine and set it aside.

2. Slice the onion. Cut it in half crosswise. Lay the flat side on a cutting board and cut thin, half-circle slices. 

3. Combine the beans and onion in a bowl. Drain and rinse the beans well. Add them to a large mixing bowl with the sliced onions. Pour the dressing over.

4. Mix well and refrigerate to marinate. This salad should marinate for at least six hours, but it tastes best after 24 hours.

What to Eat With 5 Bean Salad

This tasty marinated bean salad can hold its own for lunch. It has enough protein, complex carbs, and healthy fat to count as a meal. It’s also a delicious side dish with:

• Grilled burgers or barbecued chicken
• Pistachio Crusted Salmon
• A basic green salad. Add it on top and skip any extra dressing.
• Italian picnic sandwiches

Recipe FAQs 

Other Shareable Salad Recipes

These recipes are also perfect to share at a potluck or cookout. Try all of them!

Recipe