Mixed Bean Salad

📖 Substitutions

There is so much versatility with Mixed Bean Salad and the sweetened balsamic vinegar sauce adds a wonderful, tangy coating to each ingredient.

You can easily adapt the amount and variety of beans to create a classic five-bean or even three-bean salad.

Five Bean Salad: Combine two cans of cut green beans with four other varieties of canned beans in the recipe.

Three Bean Salad: Combine three cans of cut green beans with two cans of kidney beans and two cans of garbanzo beans

Pro tip: Use seven cans of beans, in any variety. Mix and match or double up on the variety of beans that your family enjoys the most.

Vinegar Options: Balsamic vinegar truly is in a league of its own with its signature depth of sweetness and distinctive flavor. But I've also made this bean salad using cider vinegar and red wine vinegar and both are delicious options.

Onion: Sweet onions add a delicate, crunchy bite to the salad, but a red, yellow or white onion will also work fine. Keep in mind, those varieties have a slightly stronger taste so you may want to use less.

Vegetable Oil: Normally I'm a big fan of olive oil when it comes to salads, but perhaps surprisingly I think regular vegetable oil from the pantry gives this salad the best flavor.

🥗 How to Make Mixed Bean Salad

Step 1: Combine the Balsamic vinegar with the celery seed, sugar and vegetable oil in a medium-sized saucepan on the stove, and bring up the heat until it comes to a boil. (Photo #1)

Step 2: Open all of the canned beans and drain the beans in a colander or strainer over the sink. Rinse with cool water and drain off all the excess liquid. (Photo #2)

Step 3: Place the drained beans in a large bowl. Chop the onion and peppers and add them to the beans. (Photo #3)

Step 4: Stir to combine the beans with the onion and peppers. Set aside. (Photo #4)

Step 5: Use a whisk to stir the Balsamic vinegar with the vegetable oil, sugar and celery seed until it starts to bubble and get slightly foamy on the top. You'll want it to come to a boil. Watch it close, once it starts boiling it can bubble over the edge of the pan very quickly. Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove. (Photo #5)

Step 6: Pour the hot vinegar sauce into a glass measuring cup, or any heat-safe bowl. Place the cup or bowl in the refrigerator until it's fully cooled. It doesn't need to be ice cold, but you'll want it chilled so it doesn't cook the beans when you combine the sauce with the ingredients in the bowl. (Photo #6)

Step 7: Pour the chilled balsamic vinegar sauce over the ingredients in the large bowl. (Photo #7)

Step 8: Stir gently to blend the sauce and coat all of the beans, peppers and onions. Cover and chill for at least 5 hours or overnight before serving. Chilling the salad helps to bring out the crispness and freshness of the beans and vegetables and the flavor in the sauce becomes more vibrant. (Photo #8)

🍽 What to Serve with Mixed Bean Salad

This salad goes well with a variety of dishes, complementing different flavors and textures. Here are some delicious options:

Grilled Meats: The light and refreshing salad provides an excellent contrast to the smoky and savory flavors of just about anything from the grill.

Burgers and Sandwiches: The tangy and slightly sweet balsamic sauce complements the savory and hearty flavors of burgers and sandwiches. Try it with Cheeseburger Pie or sandwiches made with Chicken Curry Salad.

Mexican Cuisine: The flavors in Mixed Bean Salad make it an excellent accompaniment to Mexican dishes. Serve it as a side with Easy Mexican Fried Rice or with Tamale Casserole or Oven Baked Burritos.

💭The Inspiration

This recipe was kindly shared by Rick McCurdy, a family member from Louisiana. He is an outstanding cook and connoisseur of great food.

Rick perfected the recipe by cutting down on the amount of oil and sugar found in the original version and it was his idea to use Balsamic vinegar. Such a great call! I only adapted the recipe very slightly based on the variety of canned beans I find in the grocery store here in Idaho.

Thank you Rick for sharing your incredible recipe!