Mixed Bean Salad

By The Modern Nonna

on Feb 24, 2022, Updated Mar 04, 2024

4.58 from 7 votes
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Avoiding salads because they aren’t filling enough? Say less. This Mixed Bean Salad 🥗 is the perfect cross between a protein-packed meal and a light refreshing salad. Covered in an irresistible dressing (I could chug 😉) that makes every bite flawless, this salad will never leave you hangry.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Mixed Bean Salad

Bean Mix Salad is wholesome and refreshing, it’s an ideal meal any time of ☀️ day. My perfect homemade dressing takes this salad from ordinary to extraordinary. Not to mention this salad has all your bases covered between the protein and fiber from the 🫘 beans, healthy fats from the dressing, and even more nutrients from the cucumber and herbs. Whether enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or meal-prepped ahead of time, The Most Delicious Bean & Olive Salad is sure to become a favorite.

How to Prepare This Mixed Bean Salad

🫘 Add beans to a bowl.

🥒 Finely chop and dice cucumber and chives.

🫒 Then add chopped cucumber, chives, olives, and olive juice to the beans.

🍯 Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar or bowl.

🫙 Shake mason jar or whisk dressing in a bowl until well combined.

🥗 Pour dressing over the bean mixture.

🌿 Garnish with parsley or cilantro and enjoy The Most Delicious Bean & Olive Salad!

Nonna’s Tip

You can buy a medley of beans in a bag and soak one cup overnight in 💦 water. Boil them the next day until tender. Or you can use canned beans instead. 

Mixed Bean Salad

Variations and Substitutions for Mixed Bean Salad

There are so many variations and substitutions you can make for this salad to fit your preferences or dietary limitations. As always, don’t forget to let me know in the comments (with pictures!) how you make this salad your own!

  1. Add grilled chicken, shrimp, tofu, or 🥚 hard-boiled eggs for extra protein.
  2. I love adding feta and 🌽 roasted corn kernels, but you could add any cheese or extra veggies you like!
  3. Feel free to leave out the Dijon mustard if you are allergic. If you don’t like Dijon mustard, I promise you won’t taste it! 
  4. You can use any combination of 🫘 beans that you prefer. Alternatively, you could swap the beans for chickpeas or lentils in The Most Delicious Bean & Olive Salad.
  5. Include a cooked grain if you have it ready, such as quinoa, bulgur, or couscous.

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Common Questions

What type of beans did you use?

I love using a medley of beans for different color and texture but feel free to use any beans you love!

How should I prepare dry beans for this salad?

You can buy a medley of beans in a bag and soak one cup overnight in water and then boil them the next day until tender.

Can I use canned beans for this salad?

Yes, you can certainly use canned beans for this salad. Canned kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, and navy beans are all excellent options for this salad.

Can I use this salad recipe for meal prep?

Yes, you can certainly prepare The Most Delicious Bean & Olive Salad ahead of time, but the dressing should be left to the side.

Mixed Bean Salad

Mixed Bean Salad

Salad and bean lovers unite in awe of this perfect salad, Bean Mix Salad, which is a protein-packed dream come true.
4.58 from 7 votes
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Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Equipment

Nakiri Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Cups + Spoons
Mixing Bowls
Redmond Real Salt
Small Mason Jars (250ml)

Ingredients 

  • 2.5 cups bean medley, or any 19 oz can of beans
  • ½ English cucumber, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup chives , or green onion, finely diced
  • ⅓ cup olives , any olives you like
  • 1 tablespoon olive juice
  • parsley or cilantro ⠀, finely chopped, to taste

The Dressing⠀⠀

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 teaspoons agave, maple syrup or honey, more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard , optional

Instructions 

  • Add beans to a bowl.
  • Finely chop and dice the cucumber and chives.
  • Add it to the beans with the olives and the olive juice.
  • You can now add all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar or even a bowl. Shake it well if you’re using a mason jar or whisk it if you use a bowl.
  • Pour it on top, and feel free to garnish with parsley or cilantro. Enjoy

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 1149mg, Potassium: 735mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 395IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 103mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
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Categorized as:

Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

More about me

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4.58 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So good! I made this with caramelized onions & garlic because I didn’t have green onions and subbed for lemon juice. I also added the olive juice to the dressing. Thanks Sneji

    Reply

  4. I found your recipe on Instagram and had to try it. This was simple and delicious, I really enjoyed it!

    Reply

  5. I’ve made this many times. I really like it, and the only olives I have used are Kalamata olives, but would like to know what other ones would be ideal. Sometimes the Kalamata seem to overpower a little bit. In the video, are you using black olives, or Kalamata olives, or another kind of olives?

    Reply

    1. I love green olives the most. You can try a few different ones at the grocery store and see what you love most.

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I am not a commentator by any means. I just had to say that my boyfriend and I make this all the time! We love to add avocado to it. Neither of us liked bean salad before this one. Absolutely delicious.

    Reply