Name: Mexican Three Bean Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 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; 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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Loaded with protein, fiber, and flavor, this Mexican three bean salad is an easy side dish for your next party!

Two white bowls with mexican bean salad.

A crowd pleasing, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, Mexican bean salad that you can whip up in 10 (maybe 5) minutes?! Sign me up! The 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 cilantro
1 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.

Mexican bean salad in a white bowl with avocado.

A few final thoughts on this three bean salad

Once prepared, this 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.

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

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!