Vegan Three-Bean Salad with Lemon, Mint and Parsley

Can I use dried beans?

The simplicity of this recipe is down to using canned beans (which are already pre-cooked), but you could also use dried beans provided these are thoroughly cooked beforehand.

For more info, take a look at my Beginner's Guide to Pulses.

Is bean salad healthy?

Thanks to all the healthy legumes, this salad is packed full of nutrients including plant-based protein. One serving provides:

• Calories: 259 kcal
• Protein: 12 grams (24% of RDA)
• Fibre: 12 grams (50% of RDA)
• Vitamin C: 39 mg (47% of RDA)

(Amounts based on a third-party nutrition calculator)

What you'll need

To make this vegan bean salad, you'll need:

• Mixed beans for the bulk of it
• Crunchy veg in the form of red pepper and cucumber
• Fresh herbs of your choice – I like parsley and mint here
• Extra-virgin olive oil to create a good-quality lemon dressing

How to make vegan three-bean salad

To a small bowl, add the chopped onion and garlic. Mix in around three quarters of the lemon juice (i.e. 1½ lemons) and season with salt and pepper. The lemon juice will help to mellow the flavour of the onion and garlic (1).

Once the chickpeas and beans have been drained and well rinsed (I use a colander for this), add these to a large bowl (2) along with the diced cucumber, red pepper, parsley, and mint. Mix well.

To the smaller bowl, add the olive oil and give it a stir (3). Pour this dressing into the larger bowl and mix everything thoroughly.

Adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding any extra lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, or herbs. Mix well, scooping some of the dressing to the top, and serve.

Serving suggestions

This salad is right at home as a side dish for summer meals or barbecue recipes such as grilled tofu steaks, grilled king oyster mushrooms, and teriyaki aubergine. It's also just a nice thing to have in the fridge as a snack.

Variations and tips

• Bowl: Using a large bowl will make it easier to mix everything together.
• Other ingredients: Feel free to throw in other ingredients such as celery, tomatoes, corn, or avocado. You could also swap any of the beans for another canned variety.
• Fresh herbs: If you don't want the parsley flavour to be as strong, just use the leaves and not the stems. Other good herbs include fresh coriander, basil, or dill.
• Olive oil: When making dressings, I'd always recommend using a good-quality, extra-virgin olive oil.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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