21 Bean Salad Recipes That Make the Perfect Side Dish

Bean salads are perfect for a picnic, but they’re also an easy side dish that can be enjoyed any time of year. What’s more, these filling and flavorful salads can be made with frozen or canned beans, which is a great way to help save time and money. Whether you serve them cold, warm or at room temperature, these nourishing salads are a fantastic accompaniment to a wide range of entrées. Wondering where to start? This easy bean salad gets extra freshness from the addition of crisp green beans. Simply blanch and shock the green beans until crisp and tender, then toss in a homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette. Fresh basil and parsley add bright green color and vibrant flavor.

This hearty and delicious side is so much more than your usual bean salad—cumin and pineapple combine to offer complex flavor that’s sweet and savory at the same time. Lime juice adds vibrant acidity while jalapeño adds the perfect amount of heat. Simply mix all the ingredients and let them sit in the refrigerator for one hour so the flavors can develop.

If you’re looking to step up a standard green bean salad, try charring the beans first. It adds a deeper flavor that’s smoky and caramelized. Next, drizzle the homemade vinaigrette over the beans while they’re still warm to help them soak up the lemony flavor. Top with feta cheese and almonds, then serve warm or at room temperature.

This simple dish is easy to devour, but it’s even easier to make. Ready in just 10 minutes, all you need are a handful of ingredients you might already have in your pantry. Canned beans combine with fresh cucumber, herbs and lemon juice to make this crunchy salad that’s packed with flavor.

This hearty side dish pairs with a variety of different entrées and can be ready in under 20 minutes. Canned black beans are the shortcut to the simple salad that gets its flavor from the addition of fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion and bell peppers. Fresh cilantro adds bright, acidic flavor to the quick and easy dish.

We love that this crunchy, colorful salad can be ready in just 15 minutes. Chopped walnuts add the perfect amount of texture, while red onion adds bright, vibrant flavor. Its super refreshing when served cold, but it’s just as delicious when served warm or at room temperature.

With a few fresh vegetables and a flavorful dressing, you can transform canned cannellini beans into a delicious white bean salad that’s a perfect side dish for chicken, shrimp, roast pork loin and burgers.

When it comes to side dishes, this two bean salad is as simple as it gets. Canned beans are the key shortcut in this recipe that takes just 15 minutes from start to finish. Chopped celery, scallion and red onion add extra crunch and bold flavor. Serve cold or at room temperature.

All the flavors of a classic BLT sandwich come together in this hearty bean salad. The homemade herb-mayo dressing adds freshness while the crisp bacon and croutons add a welcomed crunch. It’s hearty and refreshing, so it can be enjoyed as a side salad or a main dish.

Fresh herbs play a starring role in this classic bean salad. Chives and parsley combine to bring bright flavor to canned white beans and fresh green beans, all of which gets tossed in a light apple cider vinaigrette. Let the beans marinate for one hour at room temperature for maximum flavor.

Lima beans easily take on the flavor of whatever they’re soaked in, so this recipe tastes even better after it’s been sitting in the refrigerator. Cooking the beans in chicken broth and bacon helps add deep, rich flavor in every bite. After they’re cooked, toss the beans in a fresh garlic vinaigrette and serve.

No matter how you prepare it, green bean salad is always refreshing. However, we think it’s even more refreshing when topped with flavorful fresh herbs like parsley and fresh dill. In this easy recipe, green beans get blanched until crisp, then tossed with a garlic, soy and mustard vinaigrette. Cranberries and almonds add bright flavor and crunchy texture to the simple side dish.

While this bean salad is simple to prepare, it brings complex flavor that’s anything but ordinary. It’s made up of three different bean styles—canned black beans, wax beans and green beans—that are seasoned with a homemade vinaigrette and crushed coriander. Fresh cilantro and red bell pepper adds bright flavor and crunchy texture.

One easy way to make bean salad more flavorful is to let the ingredients marinate before serving. In this recipe, green beans, cannellini beans and chickpeas soak in lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs before serving. In fact, the whole recipe can be made up to a day ahead for easy meal prep.

This classic bean salad is perfect for a picnic. Frozen green beans and edamame beans are a simple shortcut that makes preparing the salad easy to do in just 35 minutes. Toss the beans in a simple dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice and grainy mustard, and serve at room temperature.

This two-bean salad recipe couldn’t get any easier. Twenty minutes is all you need to pull it together. Simply blanch fresh green beans until crisp, then drain and set aside. Sauté fresh garlic and cannellini beans with red pepper flakes, then toss with the green beans. Garnish with fresh parsley and season with salt, then serve with lemon slices.

This colorful two bean salad also doubles as a dip when served with hearty tortilla chips. Black eyed peas, black beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, bell pepper and pickled jalapeno combine to make a salad that’s packed with heat, crunch, and chewy texture. Make sure to refrigerate for one hour to let the flavors develop.

If you thought you didn’t like lima beans, you clearly haven’t tried this salad. When paired with fresh, crispy green beans, hearty kidney beans and light, creamy white beans, lima beans add chewy texture and fresh flavor. Better yet, they can be bought canned or frozen to shave time off of your prep.

This hearty salad is an easy way to bulk up your average rice dish. To start, grate fresh tomatoes and combine orange juice, cayenne pepper and bell pepper. Next, toss the tomato mixture with pinto beans and cooked rice. Once assembled, fold in chopped cilantro, scallion and season with salt and pepper for maximum flavor.

Black beans are one of the most hearty and naturally flavorful beans available, so they’re perfect for tossing in a salad to bulk it up. This recipe calls for black beans that get sautéed in jalapeño, garlic and cumin seeds, then tossed with fresh cucumber and tomato. It’s an easy salad that’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or a side dish.