Yiayia’s Marinated Bean Salad
Loaded with protein-rich beans, crunchy veggies, and a sweet vinaigrette, this dish is a yummy way to fuel your body! Perfect for summer barbecues or picnics, this quick and easy salad is a crowd pleaser. Not to mention, you can customize it to fit your family’s needs.
Marinated Bean Salad was a staple in my Yiayia’s (grandmother) kitchen. She always had this salad in her refrigerator in the spring and summertime. It is delicious on its own, but I love to add this to a plain-old garden salad or even a Greek salad. The combination of the sweet vinaigrette in the bean salad with the salty feta cheese in a Greek Salad is unbelievable!
One of the best parts of this recipe is that you can customize it to suit your needs. I don’t like green bell peppers, so I typically leave them out. This salad would be delicious with the addition of fresh sweet corn. Have fun with it! You can mix and match whatever bean and veggie combinations you want.
KEY INGREDIENTS:
Beans: I always use canned beans for this recipe because it is quick and I always have them on hand. If you would prefer to use dried beans, that is totally fine as well just be sure to cook them and allow them to cool before making the salad.
Oil: In general, I prefer to use olive oil whenever I am making a vinaigrette or something that won’t be cooked. This is because the olive oil has a nice fruity-taste. That being said, if you have ever put olive oil in the refrigerator, then you know it will solidify. For this reason, I typically use avocado oil to make this salad, but you can choose whichever oil you prefer. If you still want to use olive oil, you can just take your marinated bean salad out of the fridge for a few minutes before you plan on eating it, so the oil can come back down to room temperature.
Sugar: I know sugar seems odd to add to a salad, but in this case the beans REALLY need it. I have made this salad a million times in attempt to reduce the amount of sugar, but it just isn’t the same. Nevertheless, you can decide for yourself if you want to add the sugar or not.
Check out my other Seasonal Favorites:
Creamy and Refreshing Tzatziki
Quick and Easy Chicken Piccata
Yiayia’s Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15oz. can kidney beans
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans
- 1 15oz. can green beans
- 1 15oz. can wax beans
- 1 15oz. can chick peas
- 1 Vidalia onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp dry mustard
- ¼ tsp horseradish
- ½ cup oil
- ⅔ cup red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- PREP THE BEANS: Place all of the beans in a colander, rinse with water, and drain thoroughly. Add the beans to a large bowl. Thinly slice the onions and peppers and add them to the bowl with the beans. Set aside.
- PREP THE DRESSING: In another container, mix the dry mustard, horseradish, oil, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Store the bean salad in an airtight container. For best results, refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
Follow me!
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegreekgalley/?igshid=YmMyMTA2MY%3D
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreekgalley?lang=en
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/thegreekgalley/