Quick Mixed Bean Salad Recipe from Spain

If you’re tired of serving the same side dishes or feel it’s time to elevate your salad game, Spanish recipes have the right tools to solve your problem.

The mixed bean salad is bursting with flavor, featuring a delicious blend of ingredients from Southern Spain, and it is also incredibly simple and quick to prepare.

Keep reading this article and you’ll learn the simple steps to make this mixed bean salad, along with the best tips for storing, serving, and customizing the recipe to your liking.

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

• Murcia salad

• Spanish macaroni salad

• Spanish Salad Bowl

Background of the Dish

Mixed bean salads from Spain generally have a multicultural origin, blending local ingredients with those from the Americas or even Asia.

The mixed bean salad showcases Latin American influences through ingredients like tomatoes, fresh herbs, and certain types of beans, while onions, olive oil, and white beans are distinctly Andalusian ingredients.

Nowadays, the mixed bean salad shares the spotlight with a fantastic variety of fresh and easy Spanish recipes, such as the ensalada de pollo, Spanish tomato salad, and the ensalada campera.

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Things You’ll Need for Mixed Bean Salad

The Spanish salad ingredients needed to prepare this mixed bean salad recipe are canned beans (black, red kidney, and white), tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and garlic clove.

Like most traditional Spanish salads, you will need vinegar and olive oil to prepare the dressing (or replace it with your favorite salad dressing).

Ingredients

• 1 can (400gr) cooked white cannellini beans
• 1 can (400gr) cooked black beans
• 1 can (400gr) cooked red kidney beans
• 2 ripe red tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

How to Make Mixed Bean Salad – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step in this mixed beans salad recipe, drain and rinse the canned beans under plenty of cold water. Drain them again so as not to end up with a watery salad.

2. Now, cut the bell peppers and tomatoes in half, discard the seeds, and chop them into cubes. Peel and chop the onion into small pieces, also peel and mince the garlic.

3. After that, mix all of the ingredients into a bowl. Pour the paprika, salt, and pepper, then toss the easy mixed bean salad around.

4. For the next step in this quick mixed bean salad, grab a small bowl and mix the olive oil, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Pour the Spanish salad dressing and toss it to cover everything.

5. To finish the recipe, taste the salad and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the mixed bean salad right away topped with chopped cilantro, or store it in the fridge for one hour before serving so that it cools down.

Substitution of Ingredients

One great aspect of mixed bean salad recipes is that you can easily modify the ingredients without any hassle, allowing you to personalize each salad to suit your taste preferences.

The same goes for the mixed bean salad, where first you can play with the vegetables that you use, including others like carrots, zucchini, cucumber, etc.

Besides that, you can draw inspiration from the Spanish white bean salad and make this delicious salad with just one type of bean -using your favorite one or the one that you have available-.

Similar to most Spanish salads, olive oil and vinegar are the main ingredients for the traditional dressing, but you could switch it for your favorite dressing such as balsamic vinaigrette, lemon tahini, or creamy aioli to create a unique flavor profile.

If you are looking for Andalusian recipes that are more suitable for winter or the colder days of the year, then you can check out our flavorful Spanish white bean soup or our traditional Spanish 5 bean soup recipe.

Tips on Serving Mixed Bean Salad

First, you can serve the mixed bean salad as a main dish, especially if you add protein as a topping like grilled chicken, shrimp, prawns, or tofu.

To serve it as a Spanish side salad, simply place the bowl on the table and let your guests serve as much as they want, providing a large spoon for easy serving.

Besides that, you can take inspiration from other Spanish salad ideas while serving the chilled bean salad, and top it with grated parmesan, toasted nuts, or a drizzle of Spanish garlic sauce for added flavor and texture.

Other salad recipes from Spain work better to serve during the colder months of the year, such as the warm cannellini bean salad, warm bean salad or the warm octopus salad.

How to Store Mixed Bean Salad

Once you finish making the recipe for mixed bean salad, you can either serve it right away or store it in the fridge to enjoy later.

If you choose to store it, then cover the bowl with the mixed bean salad before adding the dressing, as this will help preserve the ingredients’ texture and flavor.

After that, you can store the best mixed bean salad for up to 2 days in the fridge, then adjust the seasoning and toss the dressing to ensure the flavors are well-blended before serving.

Besides Spanish salad recipes, we have more dishes that you can make and store in the freezer too, such as the hearty Spanish bean tomato soup, the savory Spanish bean soup, and the tender oxtail and butter beans.

Recipe Card: Mixed Bean Salad

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