I want to start making a big bean salad every week to go with my main meals. Does anyone here do this too? Any tips or recipes you love? How long will it last in the fridge?
I usually grab a few different types of canned beans, doesn’t matter which. I add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of mint sauce, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, or you can adjust to taste. It usually doesn’t last more than 3 days at my place.
I make a crunchy bean salad with a can of chickpeas, a can of kidney beans, red onion, celery, red bell pepper, Dijon vinaigrette, and a lot of fresh parsley. It stays crunchy for about 4 days if it even lasts that long.
I think Violet Hazel has been doing a ‘dense bean salad’ series for a while. She isn’t vegan, but her recipes might be a great inspiration. She posts a new bean salad every week for meal prep.
I love bean salads! I learned how to make them at a veggie cafe a long time ago and still love them.
The best one I had was called Caribbean Black Bean Salad.
- Black beans
- Red pepper
- Red onion
- Raisins (trust me, they work!)
- Dressing: basic oil and vinegar, with S&P, paprika, allspice, cayenne, and a pinch of sweetener if you like.
The vegetables should be chopped to the same size as the beans. Don’t overdo the raisins, just a few so they get nice and plump in the dressing. But even without them, the jerk seasoning flavor works great with cold beans.
I agree with 4-5 days in the fridge. That’s how long most delis keep their cold veggie salads.
I love this recipe but I use 3 cans of beans (kidney, black, and chickpea) instead of fresh green beans. Fresh is great too, though! I often bring this to potlucks since it can be made ahead. link to recipe
Bean salads are my go-to meal prep! I have a few favorite recipes, but one I love is a Mediterranean-style bean salad with cannellini beans, chickpeas, peppers, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, and black olives, all tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
At my place, we make a ‘jewelled’ salad. I use a can of red kidney beans (rinsed), chopped red or sweet white onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and cubed avocado. I make a lime dressing with lime juice, olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and some sugar.
Cowboy Caviar is one of my favorites! My aunt used to keep a big bowl of it in the fridge for her teens to snack on with tortilla chips after school (black-eyed peas are underrated!). Recipe link
This lentil salad would go well with almost anything, and you can easily use canned lentils. Recipe link
I like adding vegan feta and sun-dried tomatoes—it makes for a perfect hearty side or a great light lunch that’s easy to take to work or trips. Recipe link
@Zion
I do a black bean salad from Cookie and Kate too, I think it’s just called black bean salad. It’s amazing in the summer. I basically keep it in my fridge all the time!
Here’s the recipe I love: Black Bean Salad Recipe
It’s a summer favorite, but I think it’s good year-round!