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    You are here: Home / Special Diets / Wheat Free / 4 Bean Salad

    4 Bean Salad

    28 August 2018 - By Michelle Minnaar
    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Jump to Recipe

    Looking for a healthy vegan salad for lunch or dinner? This 4 bean salad is an excellent alternative if you don’t feel like going shopping. The reason behind this is because this 4 bean salad uses ingredients that store very well and can last for months! So chances are that you’ve got the ingredients for this 4 salad in your kitchen cupboard without you even realizing it.

    In either case, for those of you who love a vibrant and colourful salad like this one, then you’ll definitely enjoy this 4 bean salad as well. The best part is that it uses only vegetables, so it doesn’t get any more vegan than that! Enjoy the different textures brought forward by the four types of beans and dress the salad with your favourite dressing. Can you guess which four beans make up this 4 bean salad?

    a bowl of 4 bean salad and onions

    4 bean salad recipe balsamic dressing

    This 4 bean salad calls for four types of beans: red kidney beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), pinto beans and green beans. Yes, it’s a lot of beans, but a lot of nutritious fiber! Combined with all four types of beans, the one thing that will bind these ingredients together is a balsamic vinaigrette. As a result, you’ll end up with a flavourful and nutritious salad that you won’t be able to stop eating. Besides, what a better way to eat healthy than with this 4 bean salad. You can eat all you want guilt-free. You’ll find that each type of bean is unique in its own way when it comes to delivering texture and flavour. Read below to find out how each bean contributes to making a 4 bean salad that rocks in all ways!

    Ingredients for a 4 bean salad Green Beans Red Kidney Pinto Garbanzo

    red kidney beans

    The red kidney beans are known for their firm texture. They hold up very well in soups, so that’s why they are a very practical component of a cold salad. They would also hold up very well in stews or soups that are simmered for a longer period of time, just like this sausage soup with butter beans. When it comes to taste, they deliver a flavour very reminiscent of green peas or lentils. However, because the red kidney beans are so firm, then need to be pre-soaked in water to soften up.

    garbanzo beans

    You might know garbanzo beans as chickpeas! Chickpeas are very high in protein and it is a very versatile ingredient. It is used across many cuisines in the form of creating chickpea salads, chickpea soup, chickpea falafels or even eating roasted chickpeas alone.  In terms of texture, they are usually soft and buttery, but you can easily change their texture by roasting them off. This way, they will become crispier.

    pinto beans

    Pinto beans are an integral part of Mexican cuisine. It is very common to add them into burritos, wraps or make refried beans with them. Since they are soft, expect a buttery texture. They will most likely fall apart and taste slightly creamy. Also, they are a good source of protein and other healthy nutrients.

    green beans

    Green beans are probably my favourite vegetable side dish.  Besides using roasted green beans as a side dish, they make an excellent addition to a salad once you cut them into smaller pieces. For example, they complement this warm butterbean salad very well.  You can even control the texture of this salad. If you like your green beans a bit more firm then take them out of the boiling water a bit earlier. Otherwise, if you love your green beans extra soft, toss them in a frying pan for some extra heat.

    A close up of 4 bean salad

    canned four bean salad recipe

    As mentioned before, this 4 bean salad is very practical and handy for when you have run out of perishables in your refrigerator. Or when you don’t feel like going to the supermarket. All you need to do is take a closer look in your kitchen cupboard and see whether or not you’ve got the four types of beans. Naturally, you can opt for the dried beans. However, you need to soak these overnight. If this is the case, then put them in a bowl full of water before you leave for work. They should plump up by the time you get back from the office. If you skip this step, your beans will take twice or three times as long to cook and their texture won’t be as tender.

    You can also used canned beans as an alternative. Canned beans don’t need to be soaked in water, however you do need to be careful not to overcook these. If this happens, they might become too mushy and start falling apart in your 4 bean salad. Remember, it’s about getting the texture right!

    Mexican 4 bean salad

    If you love Mexican cuisine as much as I do, you’ll most likely want to spin this salad into a Mexican salad. To do so, just slice up one large avocado into thin strips. You can take inspiration from my mung bean salad where I’ve carefully cut the avocado. Next, cut up some fresh coriander, fresh chilli and sprinkle over with a bit of lime juice. If you want to take the salad to the next level, feel free to combine chipotle powder into the olive oil or just buy a chipotle style dressing. Lastly, nothing screams Mexican more than cutting up some fresh tomatoes into small squares with some thinly diced onions.

    A bowl of 4 bean salad

    4 bean salad dressing

    4 bean salad is far from being a plain salad. The best part is that you can easily spice up this 4 bean salad with the right dressing. This recipe calls for a traditional balsamic vinaigrette. However, you can also opt for other dressings. For a creamy dressing, you can use ranch dressing or a creamy watercress sauce. For a tangy dressing, try this watercress dressing, which is super healthy! Otherwise, you can always go for the classic honey mustard salad dressing. The choice is yours. Which dressing would you include in the 4 bean salad?

    What is your favourite type of bean salad?

    Print
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    Bean Recipe

    4 Bean Salad


    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 7 reviews

    • Author: Michelle Minnaar
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 6 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This 4 bean salad recipe is unlike all the others. It is a perfect combination of textures, where the contribution of each bean was carefully thought-out.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 200g (7oz) green beans, topped and tailed
    • 240g (1 tin) cooked chickpeas
    • 240g (1 tin) cooked kidney beans
    • 240g (1 tin) cooked cannelini beans
    • 2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 1 red chilli, washed and finely chopped
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
    • 15ml (1 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
    • 125ml (½ cup) fresh coriander leaves, washed and chopped
    • Salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1. Boil the green beans in salted water until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
    2. Once the green beans are cooled down, toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

    Notes

    • Substitute the different beans with your favourite pulses.
    • You can play with different salad dressings too!
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 278
    • Sugar: 3.5 g
    • Sodium: 24 mg
    • Fat: 5.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 43.9 g
    • Fiber: 11.5 g
    • Protein: 14.7 g

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    4 bean salad pin

    More Wheat Free

    • Eggnog
    • Spicy Kidney Bean Soup
    • Lamb Keema Curry
    • Nectarine Chutney
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. cheryl hadfield

      August 28, 2018 at 9:06 pm

      I love greenbean and potato salad

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Sam macaree

      August 28, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      4 bean salad

      Reply
    3. Wise Ways

      August 29, 2018 at 8:14 am

      I’ve never tried a bean salad these look so tempting

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Jeanette Leighton

      August 30, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Love a 4 bean salad my favourite beans are green beans

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Kelly Hirst

      August 30, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      I love an edamame bean salad

      Reply
    6. Solange

      August 31, 2018 at 4:58 am

      Mediterranean Three Bean Salad.

      Reply
    7. Emma C

      September 03, 2018 at 9:09 pm

      Edamame salad

      Reply
    8. iain maciver

      September 03, 2018 at 9:17 pm

      never had a bean salad so far

      Reply
    9. Caroline B

      September 03, 2018 at 11:06 pm

      Mexican 4 bean salad yum

      Reply
    10. Desiree DeYoung

      September 04, 2018 at 5:16 am

      I don’t have a favorite bean salad!!!^_^

      Reply
    11. Lucy

      September 04, 2018 at 9:35 am

      I’ve never had one but they sound great 🙂

      Reply
    12. Ruth Harwood

      September 04, 2018 at 10:04 am

      With chickpeas and black eye peas along with red and white kidney beans and borlotti beans too xx

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    13. Annabel Greaves

      September 04, 2018 at 2:11 pm

      I love a green bean salad

      Reply
    14. Annie L

      September 04, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      I’d Love to try this – it looks so healthy!

      Reply
    15. Emily C

      September 04, 2018 at 8:45 pm

      MT boyfriend makes an amazing Lebanese inspired bean salad! So tasty!

      Reply
      • michelle

        September 05, 2018 at 8:15 pm

        yum! What ingredients does he use?

        Reply
    16. Kim M

      September 05, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      Love kidney beans in any sort of salad x

      Reply
    17. Sheena Batey

      September 06, 2018 at 10:56 am

      Butter bean salad

      Reply
    18. Adrian Crook

      September 06, 2018 at 11:37 am

      I love a kidney bean salad with red onion and tomato

      Reply
    19. hannah igoe

      September 06, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      I love a bean and sweet potato salad

      Reply
    20. claire woods

      September 09, 2018 at 10:54 am

      MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD

      subscribed to your newsletter

      Reply
      • michelle

        September 10, 2018 at 6:50 am

        Wonderful! Welcome Claire!

        Reply
      • michelle

        September 19, 2018 at 2:06 pm

        wonderful welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    21. Steph

      September 10, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      I liked a edeme bean salad!

      Reply
    22. Steph

      September 10, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      I liked a edeme bean salad!

      Reply
    23. jo liddement

      September 11, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      I am vegetarian and love using beans in salads and my favourite ones to use are black beans.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    24. Gillian Hitchen

      September 11, 2018 at 8:47 pm

      I like them tossed with toasted hazelnuts

      Reply
    25. Carol Frosdick

      September 12, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      Love Mexican bean salad

      Reply
    26. Kim Carberry

      September 15, 2018 at 11:50 am

      Butter bean salad…

      Reply
    27. Joanne Billington

      September 17, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Mexican bean salad

      Reply
    28. Mark McCaffery

      September 18, 2018 at 6:46 am

      A butter bean salad

      Reply
    29. Margaret Mccaffery

      September 18, 2018 at 3:17 pm

      Edamame salad

      Reply
    30. Sarah Mccaffery

      September 18, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      A Mexican bean salad.

      Reply
    31. Rachel Lines

      September 21, 2018 at 9:16 pm

      Green beans and pesto potato salad

      Reply
    32. Deirdre M

      September 27, 2018 at 10:02 pm

      Butter bean, pea, hazelnut & wild garlic pesto salad with pecorino shaved over the top!

      Reply
    33. Louise Ryves

      September 28, 2018 at 6:14 am

      Madame beans in a salad are tasty

      Reply
    34. Caroline Shepherd

      September 28, 2018 at 7:46 am

      I do a black bean salad with tomato, onions, peppers, and avocado which is really yummy.

      Reply
    35. Laura Turner

      September 28, 2018 at 9:53 am

      Flageolet beans with a drizzle of lemon.

      Reply
    36. Charlotte G

      September 28, 2018 at 10:51 am

      Green beans, sweetcorn and kidney beans in oil and vinegar 🙂

      Reply
    37. Angela Kelly

      September 28, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      I like a Mexican four bean salad.

      Reply
    38. Stef Acaster

      September 28, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      spicy Mexican bean salad

      Reply
    39. sharon martin

      September 28, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      Mexican Bean Salad

      Reply
    40. Sheri Darby

      September 28, 2018 at 8:08 pm

      The mixed bean salad my husband makes

      Reply
    41. Cara-Jane Hunter

      September 29, 2018 at 7:50 am

      This one! Love coriander!

      Reply
    42. Anneka

      September 29, 2018 at 9:28 am

      It’s the famous four bean salad of course and my mum makes the best one! I’ll be sending her this recipe to try out and I’ll do a taste test lol

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    43. Tricia Bingham

      September 29, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      green bean salad

      Reply
    44. Laura Pritchard

      September 29, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      Three Bean Salad is lush

      ★★★★

      Reply
    45. Amy Jo mclellan

      September 29, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      I love the sound of your Mexican 4 Bean Salad – that’s my favourite.

      Reply
    46. Carolyn E

      September 29, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      I like an aduki bean salad, with coriander, ginger and chili dressing

      Reply
    47. Adrian Bold

      September 29, 2018 at 10:01 pm

      I like a Mediterranean Three Bean Salad.

      Reply
    48. Meryl Thomas

      September 29, 2018 at 10:23 pm

      Love red kidney bean salad

      Reply
    49. Marie Rungapadiachy

      September 29, 2018 at 10:50 pm

      Steak, green bean, red onion and feta cheese salad is my favourite.

      Reply

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    about michelle

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