Summertime always brings invites to barbecues, picnics or potlucks, and usually you need to bring something like a coleslaw or a dessert. For me, nothing beats a tasty bean salad recipe!
The Ultimate 7 Bean Salad Recipe
To quote Bart Simpson, "You Don't Make Friends with Salad" and that's usually true. However, you're going to love this Ultimate Bean Salad, because there are 7 types of beans! So it's a little bit fancy, and yet so incredibly easy to make. Homemade tastes better than store bought, and it's cheaper too. Why wouldn't you?
Old Bean Salad Recipe
This recipe was in my mum's old recipe book. You know, the recipe books our mom's had, full of hand written recipes. It came about from needing a large bean salad recipe that feeds many people. Several times a year, the church would have gatherings and celebrations like Thanksgiving. There'd be a lot of hungry guests after church, so this was a recipe that was made. It's a quick and easy side dish salad, and filling for a large group of people. This serves about 20-25 servings.
Canned Bean Variations
I chose to follow her hearty Easy 7 Bean Salad Recipe, but you can choose to use fewer beans if you like. Just keep the ratios of beans correct. There are 10 cans of beans in this recipe. Your grocery store might not sell all these beans, or they might have different names depending on what country you live in. Here are some common canned bean names to help with your substitutions.
- White Beans = Cannellini Beans
- Chickpeas = Garbanzo Beans
- Barlotti Beans = Romano Beans
- Butter Beans = Lima Beans
For instance, I cannot find canned sliced Yellow Wax Beans here in Australia. No Libby's or Del Monte Wax Beans in sight! To think of it, Yellow Wax Beans aren't that common fresh either! However, we have lots of Cannellini Beans, or sometimes called Cannelloni Bean Salad by mistake
If you can't find a specific bean, then swap it up a bit with what you have in your supermarket aisle. I had to use 4 cans of Green Beans instead of 2, because Wax Beans weren't available. If you don't like Kidney Beans, only use 1 can, and add more Butter Beans instead!
Honestly, you really could almost go to your bean aisle in the supermarket, and pick any canned beans, eenie, meenie, minie, moe..... and this Bean Salad Recipe would work! Just mix your favorite canned beans together with the fresh vegetables, and you're done!
Bean Salad Vinaigrette
This recipe includes and easy Salad dressing for your bean salad. It might feel strong on the vinegar when you are making it, but when it's all combined together, it works perfectly. Slowly dissolve the sugar in the vinegar first, before adding any other ingredients. Nobody likes eating granules of sugar. You can reduce the sugar quantity according to your taste, if necessary.
How to Make a Smaller Bean Salad
This is a great recipe, but it does feed a small army. Let's say you have a regular gathering, like a potluck or a bbq. You need a smaller amount of salad. Just cut the recipe in half. Use 5 cans of your favorite beans, use half the vegetables and make half the bean vinaigrette.
Tasty Summer Salad Recipes
- Olivier - Russian Potato Salad
- Sweet Pepper Salad with Italian Vinaigrette
- Roasted Chickpea Salad
- Shrimp Mango Salad
- Greek Salad with Easy Dressing
- Hearty Beet and Potato Salad (Vinegret)
An Easy 7 Bean Salad Recipe is more interesting and healthier than a plain 3 Bean Salad seen at many potlucks and bbqs, and much tastier. This is a very generously large salad that feeds many. It's perfect to bring for large dinner or potluck, to show off your salad skills, but don't tell them how easy it was! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 2 cans Kidney Beans
- 1 can Chickpeas Garbanzo Beans
- 1 can White Beans Cannellini Beans
- 1 can Butter Beans Lima Beans
- 2 can Borlotti Beans or Romano Beans
- 2 cans sliced Green Beans
- 2 cans sliced Yellow Wax Beans
- 2 Red Onions chopped finely
- 1 Red Pepper diced Capsicum
- 1 Yellow Pepper diced Capsicum
- 4 sticks Celery diced
Ingredients For the Dressing
- 3 cups vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon dry Mustard powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Over a colander in the sink, drain the cans of beans and rinse well with water. Put the beans in a large bowl.
- Add the onions, red pepper, yellow pepper and celery.
- In a separate container, mix together the vinegar, sugar, mustard powder, salt and pepper and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the oil and mix.
- Add the dressing to the bean mixture and toss gently until well coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the dressing to soak the into the bean salad. Best if you allow to marinate overnight in the fridge, mixing occasionally.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
