Easy 5 Bean Salad

Averie Sunshine
4.70 from 10 votes
Updated: Sep 15, 2026
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Easy 5 Bean Salad 🫘🥗 is the BEST bean salad with 5 types of beans, artichoke hearts, red onions, and veggies, and it takes just 10 MINUTES to prepare! Everything is tossed in a tangy, savory, slightly sweet vinaigrette that ties it all together perfectly. Serve it as a protein packed side dish for dinner, picnics, and potlucks, or enjoy it as a stand alone healthy lunch. The recipe is EXTREMELY flexible, too!

A bowl of mixed bean salad with kidney beans, black beans, corn, green bell peppers, and onions being served with wooden utensils.

Easy 5 Bean Salad Recipe

  • I adore this easy 5-bean salad recipe with, as you may have guessed, has five varieties of beans in it. If you want to mix-and-match the exact types of beans used, feel free.
  • For my version which is naturally vegan and gluten-free, I love adding artichoke hearts for a bit of unique flavor and texture, along with red onions and celery for some light crunch contrasted with the tender beans.
  • Everything is tossed in a simple vinaigrette that’s light yet very flavorful thanks to a decent splash of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, a touch of sugar (don’t skip it because it balances the pungent nature of the vinegar), salt, and pepper.
  • This is the best bean salad recipe that’s great served as a protein-packed side salad alongside casual weeknight dinners, as a healthy lunch option, and is great for entertaining, summer holidays like Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or Labor Day. Set it out at picnics or potlucks (no mayo, holds great!), or make it for game day parties. It’s just such a satisfying and surprisingly filling salad!
A bowl of mixed bean salad including kidney beans, chickpeas, corn, chopped green bell peppers, and onions, with a wooden spoon, a small bowl of salt, and a striped cloth nearby on a wooden surface.
A bowl filled with a colorful mixed bean salad, featuring black beans, kidney beans, sweet corn, green peppers, and onions, garnished with parsley. A wooden table background with fresh herbs.

Ingredients in 5 Bean Salad

  • Beans: I use kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, and canned green beans for this easy bean salad. Reduced-salt beans are great if available; drain and rinse them well. You can also use homemade cooked beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, navy beans, wax beans, or really any bean you love.
  • Artichoke hearts: Canned, frozen and thawed, or jarred artichoke hearts all work. If using oil-packed artichokes, drain them well and give them a rough chop.
  • Green bell pepper, red onion, and garlic: These add crunch, color, and savory flavor. Use any color bell pepper you like, and another onion color is fine too.
  • Apple cider vinegar, olive oil, granulated sugar, salt, and pepper: These make the tangy-sweet vinaigrette. Honey, agave, or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar, although maple syrup will add more flavor.
  • Optional add-ins: Olives, cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumbers, peppadew peppers, feta, mozzarella balls, fresh herbs, or a little mustard would all work well.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Assorted bowls of ingredients on a wooden surface, including beans, chopped vegetables, liquids, and seasonings, arranged in a neat grid pattern.
A bowl of colorful bean salad with corn, green beans, red onions, green bell peppers, and various beans, garnished with chopped parsley.

How To Make the Best Bean Salad

  1. Add drained and rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the other veggies, and then the remaining ingredients, and toss very well to combine and coat evenly.
  3. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, before serving!

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.

A round dish filled with a colorful bean salad, featuring red kidney beans, green bell peppers, onions, and corn kernels. Parsley and scattered beans are visible on the wooden table around the dish.
A close-up of a mixed bean salad with corn, kidney beans, black beans, green bell peppers, red onions, and a spoon in a white bowl.
A bowl of mixed bean salad with kidney beans, black beans, corn, green bell peppers, and onions being served with wooden utensils.
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4.70 from 10 votes

Easy 5 Bean Salad

🫘🥗 The BEST bean salad with 5 types of beans, artichoke hearts, red onions, and veggies, and it takes just 10 MINUTES to prepare! Everything is tossed in a tangy, savory, slightly sweet vinaigrette that ties it all together perfectly. Serve it as a protein packed side dish for dinner, picnics, and potlucks, or enjoy it as a stand alone healthy lunch. The recipe is EXTREMELY flexible, too!
For the beans: I select no-salt added or low-salt varieties when possible. Rinsing not only removes the canning residue but some of the salt, too. Can sizes are approximate and if you find cans that range from 14 to 16 ounces, it's perfectly fine.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
For Chiling: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients 

Salad

  • 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (light red or dark red)
  • 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14.5 ounce white beans, such as great northern beans or cannellini beans
  • 14.5 ounce can green beans, drained and rinsed
  • 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped (See Notes for other options)
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced small (or your favorite color bell pepper)
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced small

Vinaigrette

Instructions 

  • To a large bowl, add all the drained and rinsed beans, and then all the remaining ingredients.
    Glass bowl filled with chopped cabbage, red onion, green bell pepper, green beans, corn, kidney beans, black beans, white beans, and seasonings on a wooden surface.
  • Toss very well to combine and taste the bean salad and make sure it's properly seasoned. Seasoning Tips – If the salad tastes at all flat, boring, or like it's missing something, it probably needs more salt. You're flavoring about 5 pounds!! worth of plain ingredients and it all needs salt to bring out the best flavor. I easily add 2-3 teaspoons salt total, but it is personal preference and depends on how salty the beans were you purchased. Consider adding additional pepper, too. However, salt tends to be more crucial than pepper. For a touch of heat, a sprinkle of dried red chili flakes is great or a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. The sugar is necessary to balance the acidity of the vinegar so I do not recommend skipping it. If you are very concerned, start with 1 tablespoon at first, and then go from there. You can sub with honey or agave syrup, (or maple syrup but that adds its own flavor) rather than sugar if desired although I prefer just plain white sugar.
    A glass bowl filled with a colorful bean salad, featuring kidney beans, white beans, green beans, corn, diced green bell peppers, and red onions, on a wooden surface.
  • Cover the bowl tightly and chill for at least 1 hour prior to serving. Give a good toss before serving.
    A bowl of mixed bean salad with kidney beans, black beans, corn, green bell peppers, and onions being served with wooden utensils.
  • Storage – Salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and I find actually tastes best on the second day after the flavors have marries. While I haven't personally froze leftovers, I think it would be fine frozen for up to 2-3 months.
  • Make Ahead – You can make this salad up to 24-36 hours in advance. Cover it tightly, pop it in your fridge, and let the flavors marry and meld. Since I think it tastes better on the second day, if you’re making this for an event like a party, a summer holiday, game day party, or holiday entertaining, and want to get a jump on things, this is an easy choice to knock out ahead of time.

Notes

Artichokes – Any type is fine. The cheapest/healthiest is either using a can of them OR buying a bag of frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe’s (if you have one in your area), thawing, and dicing. If you want to use artichoke hearts packed in oil from a jar, that’s fine. Just make sure to drain them and then give them a rough chop. I am not a fan of artichokes packed in oil because they are just TOO greasy for me, but it’s up to you. 
Want to add other ingredients/veggies/herbs/cheese or make substitutions? – Read the FAQs, it’s likely just fine, this is a very flexible recipe so you can mix and match as desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion, Calories: 321cal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 795mg, Potassium: 940mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 502IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 133mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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what to serve with bean salad

A bowl of five bean salad featuring a mix of beans, corn, and diced vegetables. Text on the image reads "The Best Easy 5 Bean Salad." A wooden spoon is used to serve the salad.
Two photos of a colorful five-bean salad in white bowls, featuring kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, and green beans mixed with corn and bell peppers. Text overlay reads, "THE BEST EASY 5 BEAN SALAD.
A bowl of five-bean salad with corn, green beans, bell peppers, and onions, topped with a vinaigrette dressing. Text overlay reads "The Best Easy 5 Bean Salad.

More Easy Bean Salad Recipes:

Corn Avocado Black Bean Salad — A FRESH, easy, and HEARTY mixture of corn, black beans, and avocado is tossed with a tangy cumin lime vinaigrette. It’s incredibly filling thanks to the beans and avocado, and can easily be meal prepped!

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad with lime vinaigrette in a white bowl

Skinny Mexican Bean and Corn Salad — Two kinds of beans, juicy corn and tomatoes, crisp peppers, and green onions are tossed in a lime-chili-cumin vinaigrette that’s perfectly light.

Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad — An EASY corn salad with black beans, zucchini, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, and more!! So much Mexican-inspired FLAVOR in every bite of this family favorite recipe that’s sure to be a hit!!

Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad — An EASY corn salad with black beans, zucchini, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, and more!! So much Mexican-inspired FLAVOR in every bite of this family favorite recipe that's sure to be a hit!!

Chicken Avocado Black Bean Salad — A Mexican-inspired salad with tender chicken, black beans, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and more! EASY, ready in 20 minutes, HEALTHY, and packed with fiesta FLAVORS galore!

Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad — EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and there’s so much FLAVOR from the lime-cumin-chili vinaigrette!

Vegetarian Burrito Bowl Salad — Your favorite burrito ingredients minus the meat and extra carbs to keep things HEALTHIER!! Ready in 10 minutes and keeps you satisfied but not stuffed! Great EASY lunch, dinner, or meal prep recipe!!

Black Bean Burrito Bowl Salad - Your favorite burrito ingredients minus the meat and extra carbs to keep things HEALTHIER!! Ready in 10 minutes and keeps you satisfied but not stuffed! Great EASY lunch, dinner, or meal prep recipe!!
A bowl of five bean salad with colorful ingredients including kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, green beans, and bell peppers, garnished with onions. Text on the image reads "THE BEST EASY 5 BEAN SALAD.
Two bowls of colorful 5-bean salad with various beans, chopped vegetables, and a green herb garnish. Text overlay reads "The Best Easy 5 Bean Salad.
A bowl filled with a colorful five-bean salad mixture, containing various beans and diced vegetables. Text overlay reads "The Best Easy 5 Bean Salad.

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4.70 from 10 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

    1. Thanks Camille for trying the recipe and glad it was perfect!

      You can always increase the dressing a bit, may 1.5x that portion of it…there’s about 1/2 cup total as written and any more than that, some people may find it almost too juicy and saucy, also depends on how absorbent the beans are. Some are drier and will absorb more but you can always splash in a little more oil/vinegar at the end and season as needed.

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much Cindy for letting me know and the 5 star review and that you’ll definitely make it again!

      Reply

  3. I used two 19oz cans of 6 bean mix which less than half the beans called for in recipe. So I half the amount of dressing but as expected it was not even noticeable. Is the dressing recipe meant for one serving?

    Reply

    1. The dressing is basically 1/2 cup of liquid (from the oil and the vinegar) and it coats the beans but it’s not excessive. Some of it also seeps into the beans themselves so there may not be much excess. I can’t quite figure out how many beans you used but this is a very flexible recipe. If you think it needs more dressing, make more, and then just add it to taste.

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    My very first time making 5-bean salad. Soooo much better than store bought!! My family’s new favorite ❤️

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Shari, and glad it turned out much better than store bought and is a new family fave!

      Reply