This vegan Mediterranean Three Bean Salad recipe features fresh herbs, veggies, and a tangy dressing. It's so satisfying and filled with protein and fiber. Plus it's a great make-ahead dish for picnics, potlucks, meal prep, and take-along lunches! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)
This Mediterranean-style bean salad is so healthy, nourishing, and easy to prepare! It features a delicious three bean medley of kidney beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans. (All a great source of plant-based protein and fiber.)
Then we toss in juicy tomato, crisp cucumber, zippy red onion, and a small mountain of fresh herbs. (Yum!) Finally, it's tossed with a simple lemon-vinegar dressing.
The result is hydrating, refreshing, and pleasantly satisfying! Best of all, it's great made in advance for meal prep, picnics, potlucks, or gatherings because the flavors only get better with time.
This is one of my favorite recipes to pack in a cooler for road trips or when we travel into Yellowstone. It feels like all the nutrients my body needs to fuel our adventures!
Ingredients for Mediterranean Bean Salad
For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:
- Red kidney beans
- Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- Black beans: Or you can substitute these with another can of chickpeas or kidney beans. Or swap in a can of cannellini beans, navy beans, great northern, or freshly cooked green beans instead.
- Roma tomato: Or use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for a richer, sweeter flavor.
- Red onion
- Cucumber: Most of the time I use hothouse/English cucumbers because they're more flavorful and have a thin peel. However, garden cucumbers or mini cucumbers work well too.
- Fresh parsley: We use lots of fresh herbs in this recipe for big flavor!
- Fresh cilantro: If you don't care for the taste of cilantro, just use more parsley.
- Lemon juice: You'll need a quarter cup fresh lemon juice for this recipe, but you can adjust the amount as desired.
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Salt: I use fine grain sea salt for this recipe.
Customizing
Vegetables: Stir in red bell pepper (or roasted red peppers), diced avocado, Kalamata olives, celery, or any other fresh veggies that sound good.
Herbs: Feel free to use all parsley (and no cilantro) if desired. Or include other herbs like fresh dill, chives, basil, oregano, etc. You could even add some heat with red pepper flakes.
Vegan cheese: Top your bowl with vegan feta cheese crumbles before serving if desired.
Dressing: Adjust the dressing as you see fit. Add more vinegar or lemon juice, or salt and black pepper to taste. A teaspoon of Dijon mustard is also great whisked into the dressing. Or if you include oil in your diet, drizzle in a tablespoon of good quality extra-virgin olive oil if you wish.
Serving
This is a great side dish or main dish. Plus you can make it ahead of time for picnics, potlucks, meal prep, and take-along lunches. (It tastes even better after it chills!) This makes a large batch (about 8 cups) so adjust the amount if needed.
Pairing: You can even serve it with fresh pita bread or Oil-Free Hummus on the side!
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This sturdy salad holds up well for about 4-5 days. Give it a stir before serving because some of the dressing naturally settles at the bottom.
For more inspiration, also browse all bean recipes or parsley recipes.
Mediterranean Three Bean Salad (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 15 oz. can red kidney beans
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
- 15 oz. can black beans (or navy, cannellini, etc.)
- 1/2 red onion (about 1 cup diced)
- 1 English cucumber
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (or more parsley)
For the lemon-vinegar dressing:
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Optional: 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare beans: Rinse and drain the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Add all to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop veggies: Finely dice the red onion. Dice the cucumber and tomato. Roughly chop the parsley and cilantro. Add to the bowl.
- Make dressing: In a separate small bowl, add all dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- Combine: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add more lemon juice, vinegar, or salt to taste if desired.
- Serving: You can serve this dish immediately, but it tastes even better after it chills in the fridge. This gives the flavors a chance to blend and intensify. (Give it another stir before serving because some dressing naturally settles at the bottom.) This sturdy salad holds up well for at least 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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Christine Jordon says
This was delicious!! This is going to become a summer star for us.
Kaitlin says
Great to hear, Christine! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback. Hope you continue to enjoy it throughout the summer!
Eli says
Can I substitute the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar?
Kaitlin says
Sure, Eli! It'll change the flavor profile, but should work great and be tasty.