The Best Easy 5 Bean Salad Recipe - Frugal Mom Eh! (2024)

This is the BEST 5 bean salad recipe for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics! It’s quick, easy, and affordable – a perfect salad for any budget.

This easy 5 bean salad is the perfect dish to take to your next potluck or group gathering. It’s nutritious, flavourful, and filling – not to mention, it only takes a few minutes to throw together.

Packed with protein and fiber, it’s a filling and satisfying option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Best of all, it can be made ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about last-minutes prep, and instead enjoy more time relaxing with friends and family.

This filling salad is perfect for a light lunch or as a great side dish at your next barbecue. Made with a variety of beans, vegetables, and a simple dressing, this easy bean salad recipe is perfect for any occasion, and always a crowd-pleaser. Best of all, it comes together in just minutes using pantry staples.

It’s also one of the most versatile recipes around – feel free to swap in your favorite beans or add in some extra veggies. either way, you’ll end up with a delicious and satisfying classic bean salad.

So what are you waiting for? Give this delicious 5 bean salad a try today!

Is 5 Bean Salad Healthy?

Despite all the sugar and oil in this easy bean salad, there are plenty of health benefits from the beans. Beans are an excellent source of protein, fiber, folate, iron, potassium, and magnesium, and are low in saturated fat and sodium. Keep in mind that the sodium levels shown in the nutrition info is higher than the actual amount since we are rinsing the beans.

To make the salad healthier, simply omit the sugar or use a zero calorie sugar-free sweetener like monkfruit sweetener instead.

This is also a vegan bean salad that is naturally gluten-free, which makes it a great way to feed a crowd with diverse dietary needs!

What Type of Beans Go in Easy Five Bean Salad?

We use canned green beans, wax beans, light red kidney beans (or dark red kidney beans), chick peas (garbanzo beans), navy beans, and lima beans in our bean salad. If you are looking for variations or substitutions take your pick from these alternatives:

• Fresh green beans
• Black beans
• Pinto beans
• Cannellini beans

You do want to use canned beans for this salad because that is what makes it so easy. No soaking beans for hours and then cooking them forever after here, Sure, you can use dry beans and prepare them, but why?

Just open your cans, rinse the beans, and dump. There is no need to cook the canned beans for this cold bean salad, they are ready to eat after rinsing. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

More Variations for 5 Bean Salad

This is truly a family favorite simple bean salad with an easy recipe that I like as is. That said this salad is so versatile, make it your own! In addition to switching up the beans, and reducing the sugar, you can also change things up by adding:

• Chopped Celery
• Chopped Carrots
• Celery Seed
• Green onion

How long can you keep marinated bean salad?

This bean salad should be good for up to a week it wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated, or stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

This salad is actually even better and more flavourful after it has sat overnight since the beans sit in the marinade. It’s the perfect salad to make ahead of time!

Can I freeze a bean salad?

Yes, you can freeze bean salad. This recipe makes about 10 cups of bean salad. It’s a lot if you aren’t making it to serve a large crowd. Store any leftover salad in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

If there is a lot leftover, you may want to divide it into portions and freeze them that way.

Place your 5 bean salad in the fridge to thaw out the day before you plan to eat it. The salad needs to thaw slowly to prevent the texture from changing. Do not microwave or leave at room temperature – the flavour and texture can change, and not for the better.

About the Ingredients for 5 Bean Salad

Beans – I typically use canned green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, chick peas, navy beans, and lima beans. You can change things up here easily, Use fresh green beans and/or yellow wax beans. Swap the navy beans for cannellini beans. Read above for the full section on beans. Can sizes may vary from 15 oz to 19 oz, There is no need to be exact. Yes, I am aware that this is actually 6 beans, but we are counting the green beans and the wax beans as one, I guess. This is just how my mom always made this salad, so I never really questioned this math.

Onion – I used yellow onion this time, which does work fine, but red onion or sweet onion are ideal.

Green pepper – Adds a nice crisp texture, you can use red pepper, yellow peppers or any other colour of bell peppers instead if you don’t like green peppers.

Dressing – The dressing for five bean salad is very simple – just extra virgin olive oil, white vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. You can swap apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar for the white vinegar, but if you substitute with a sweeter vinegar like balsamic, I would reduce the sugar a bit. You can also reduce the sugar to taste. Start with 1/4 cup and add more until you achieve the flavour you desire. If you want to make 5 bean salad with no sugar, that is OK, but you may want to use a sweeter vinegar like balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Looking for Another Great Recipe for Salad?

Check out some of my favourite salad recipes!

Spice up your salad game with this classic Asian chicken salad recipe; it’s easy, delicious, and guaranteed to make dinnertime more exciting!

Calabrese pasta salad is wonderful pasta dish featuring roasted red peppers served either warm or cool as a side dish or entrée.

A beautiful salad that’s perfect for fall, this features candied pecans and feta cheese.

Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad is a great salad recipe for those who hate brussel sprouts! There is no bitter flavour, just yumminess!

How to Make Five Bean Salad

Yields: 20 Servings | Prep time: 10 Minutes | Cook time: 0 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Can Green Beans
• 1 Can Wax Beans
• 1 Can Kidney Beans
• 1 Can Chick Peas
• 1 Can Navy Beans
• 1 Can Lima Beans
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1 Cup Chopped Green Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Extra Virgin olive Oil
• 3/4 Cup White Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Sugar

Directions:

Drain and rinse the beans.

In a large bowl mix ingredients together until well combined, and sugar dissolved.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 20 Servings

5 Bean Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This is the BEST 5 bean salad recipe for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics! It’s quick, easy, and affordable – a perfect salad for any budget.

Ingredients

• 1 Can Green Beans
• 1 Can Wax Beans
• 1 Can Kidney Beans
• 1 Can Chick Peas
• 1 Can Navy Beans
• 1 Can Lima Beans
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1 Cup Chopped Green Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3/4 Cup White Vinegar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Sugar

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the beans.
2. In a large bowl mix ingredients together until well combined, and sugar dissolved.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 

  Swuut Matte Ceramic Salad Plates 8 Inch,Set of 4

• 

  Large Salad Bowls

• 

  Bamboo Fiber Salad Bowl with Servers

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 177Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g

This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although frugalmomeh.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag your creations with #FrugalMomEh on Instagram & subscribe for more!

Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish to take to your next potluck or want something new to add to your regular rotation, this 5-bean salad is sure to please. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, it’s the perfect meal solution for busy weeknights. So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try today!

Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and seasonings to find your perfect version of this dish. And if you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!