Mexican Three Bean Salad

Loaded with good for you ingredients, this Mexican three bean salad is an easy side dish for your next party! It is ready in just 10 minutes and is chock full of plant based protein, fiber, healthy fats and more.

You can probably tell by now but I’m a sucker for a good easy bean salad. Chickpea tuna salad, chickpea avocado salad, mediterranean chickpea salad?! I think I have all the chickpea bases covered, so I wanted to mix it up this time around.

This is a crowd pleasing, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, Mexican bean salad that you can whip up in 10 (maybe 5) minutes! Sign me up. This three bean salad is just begging to be served at your next pot luck, Summer barbecue, or beach trip.

Is bean salad good for you?

Yes ma’am it is. This Mexican bean salad is loaded with good for you ingredients and is super simple to make. Beans are a food more people should be including in their diet. They’re a great source of plant based protein, fiber, iron, and a type of antioxidant called polyphenols (source). This Mexican bean salad is one of my favorite ways to get these nutrient dense foods into my diet.

In addition to the beans, this salad has lots of healthy fats from the avocado, antioxidants from the veggies, and detoxifying properties thanks to the cilantro!

What goes in a 3 bean salad?

The star of the show in a three bean salad is going to be, you guessed it, BEANS! You can really use any beans you like and a lot of traditional three bean salads use green beans.

I, however, hate green beans and made this dish Mexican style, so we’re going to do things a little differently! For the base of this recipe you will need,

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup corn
• 1 bell pepper (red or green)
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 ripe avocado
• & a few simple ingredients for the dressing!

You can use virtually any bean combination for this salad. Pinto beans, garbanzo beans, small white beans all work well.

A few final thoughts on this Mexican three bean salad

• Once prepared, this three bean salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. You’ll know it’s bad because it will really start to smell. Unfortunately, beans do that!

• The amount of hot sauce you use will depend on a) the brand you use, and b) your spice preference. I’m a self proclaimed spice wuss, so I don’t like too much, but don’t be afraid to load it in there!

• I used canned beans, which are already cooked, but you can also use fresh beans that you cook yourself. Just sub each can for about 1.5 cups of cooked beans.

• Be sure to rinse the beans well before adding them to the salad. You can add all three cans to a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.

• This three bean salad is best served cold. Though you could also heat it up and add it to a burrito if desired.

• Since I know you’re going to ask if you can freeze this bean salad, I’ll tell you it should last about 1 month in the freezer.

For more gluten free sides and salads, check out these posts!

• Quick and easy quinoa tabbouleh salad
• Vegan Thai quinoa salad
• Vegan kale caesar salad with crispy garlic chickpeas

Lastly, if you make this Mexican bean salad, leave a comment below and let us know how it turns out! As always, be sure to follow me on instagram for more recipes!

Mexican Three Bean Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Claire Cary
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Salad, Side
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Description

Loaded with protein, fiber, and flavor, this mexican bean salad is an easy side dish for your next party!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 red or green bell pepper 
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 cup corn
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Sauce:

• 2–3 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp mexican chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Drain and rinse all of the beans until the water runs clear. 
2. Add to a large bowl. 
3. Chop the onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, and defrost the corn if necessary and add to the bowl. 
4. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together and pour on top of the salad.
5. Top  with the avocado and cilantro and enjoy!

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Notes

You can use regular chili powder in place of the Mexican chili powder. 

Because all hot sauces have very different levels of spice, start with a small amount and add more to your desired level of spicy. I used Cholula which is pretty mild.

This recipe will store in the fridge for about 5 days. 

You can use any type or combination of beans for this recipe. Just be sure to use a total of 3 cans, or 4.5 cups cooked beans. 

You can use fresh or frozen corn for this recipe. Be sure to use a total of 1 cup and defrost the corn if necessary before using. 

Keywords: mexican bean salad, three bean salad, mexican three bean salad, side dish for a party