Hot Bean Salad Recipe From Spain

If you are taking your first steps as a home cook, or you want to expand your culinary knowledge, then Spanish recipes have a wide range of options for you to choose from.

The hot bean salad showcases a mesmerizing blend of regional ingredients, with an extra kick of spiciness, creating a satisfying and flavorful dish that warms you from the inside out.

You can learn how to make Spanish salad from scratch, with expert tips for storing, serving, and customizing by reading this article.

You, dear reader, support this blog. If you purchase through a link, we earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish salad recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Murcia salad

• Axarquia salad

• Catalan bean salad

Background of the Dish

The hot bean salad was born to fill the gap left by other Andalusian classics, such as the cold bean salad and the mixed bean salad, offering a delicious salad that can be served warm during the colder months.

This isn’t exclusively a winter recipe, as you can serve it cold, at room temperature, or however you desire.

After all, the “hot” in its title also refers to the spices used, such as paprika and chili flakes.

Thanks to this salad you can bring a burst of vibrant flavors and textures to the table, with a spicy touch making it a fantastic addition to any meal.

Pin for later!

Things You’ll Need for Hot Bean Salad

The main ingredients that you will need to prepare the hot bean salad are a mix of dry beans, bell peppers, red onion, garlic clove, olive oil, and vinegar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150gr) black beans
• 1 cup (150gr) red kidney beans
• 1 cup (150gr) white cannellini beans
• 1 cup (150gr) pinto beans
• 1 cup (150gr) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 small red onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon paprika 
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

How to Make Hot Bean Salad – Step by Step Guide

1. To start, place each cup of dry beans in separate small bowls, and soak them with water overnight. Drain and rinse them, put them together in a pot with boiling water, and cook for about 40 minutes or until tender. 

2. After that, peel and chop the red onion into small squares. Cut the bell peppers into small pieces. Mince the garlic clove.

3. Now grab a pan and pour a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once it sizzles, cook the onion and minced garlic for about 4 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Then, add the black beans, red kidney beans, white cannellini beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas to the skillet. Stir gently to combine.

5. To continue with this hot bean salad recipe, sprinkle paprika and chili flakes over the beans and gently mix. Cook for 5 minutes until the 5-bean mix salad is heated through.

6. After that, remove the skillet from the heat and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and vinegar over the warm spicy bean salad.

7. Now, season the hot bean salad with salt and pepper to taste and stir everything together.

8. For the final step in this Spanish salad recipe, place it on serving plates or a salad bowl. Serve warm and enjoy.

Substitution of Ingredients

The ingredients that you must have to prepare this recipe are beans, vegetables, and a dressing to bring everything together.

For the vegetables, you can make the best bean salad including others like carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or a different variety of peppers.

To make this easy 5 bean salad even faster, you can use canned and cooked beans, and feel free to choose your favorite mix or just stick to one kind as you would do with the warm bean salad or the warm white bean salad.

Besides that, you can add more protein to this Spanish bean salad by adding cooked seafood, similar to the ensalada de gambas or the tako salad recipe.

We encourage you to use the classic dressing for traditional Spanish salads as it blends better with the ingredients from this recipe, but you could go for a citric or balsamic vinaigrette as well.

Tips on Serving Hot Bean Salad

The hot bean salad can be served as a side dish, an entree, or as a main dish, it all depends on your needs and preferences.

To make the best-mixed bean salad more filling, you can include a different kind of protein, such as grilled chicken, prawns, shrimp, or hard-boiled eggs.

To add more textures, you can top the Spanish-style salad with bread croutons, toasted and chopped almonds or walnuts, or some crispy bacon bits.

We have more Spanish salad recipes for you that are perfect for serving as an appetizer, such as the chilled bean salad, the classic Spanish salad bowl, and the colorful Spanish potato salad with beets.

How to Store Hot Bean Salad

This is truly the best ever bean salad because you can store them in the fridge for a couple of days, making it perfect for meal-prep fans.

If you are planning on storing the hot bean salad for more than one day, then you shouldn’t add the dressing, as it may negatively affect the flavor and texture of the ingredients.

So, simply skip adding the dressing, place the traditional Spanish salad in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can’t store the hot bean salad in the freezer, because the process of freezing and thawing may affect the texture of the beans and vegetables. 

There are some traditional Spanish salads that you can prepare and store for longer, such as the Spanish rice salad and the grilled veggie salad.

Recipe Card: Hot Bean Salad

---

---