A flavorful and healthy Kidney Bean Salad recipe that's gluten-free and vegan. Plus, it's rich in plant-based protein and takes 10 minutes to make. It's good for up to 5 days and tastes even better the next day!
Make this Kidney Bean Salad for your next barbecue, potluck, or as a high-protein side! This marinated bean recipe is the perfect start for a wholesome balanced veggie bowl. Pair it with sweet potato and quinoa for a complete meal (recipe below).
For another gut-healthy meal, try my Dense Bean Salad on this site. You might also enjoy these Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes and Tofu and Sweet Potato Bowl with Orzo.
Jump to:
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Red kidney beans
- Parsley
- Green onion
- Shallots
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Crushed red pepper
- Sweet potato (optional)
- Quinoa (optional)
- Avocado (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
🫘 Substitutions
- Beans - instead of kidney beans, use pinto, cannellini, Great Northern, navy, or black beans, or chickpeas instead
- Herbs - use fresh herbs you already have on hand (cilantro, parsley, green onion, basil, oregano, thyme)
- Mustard - Use Dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard
- Shallots - substitute with red onion
See this healthy 15-minute Cowboy Salad on my site for more bean salad inspiration. Serve with tortilla chips for the ideal protein-rich snack.
📖 How to Make Kidney Bean Salad
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview. Make the marinated Kidney Bean Salad only, or add sweet potato, quinoa, and the dressing for a complete meal.
Step 1. Transfer the kidney beans, shallots, green onion, parsley, mustard, maple syrup, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to marinate.
Step 2. (Optional) Toss the sweet potato in a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of dried herbs, and salt to taste. Cook at 400ºF for 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
Step 3. (Optional) Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Cook the quinoa. See this blog post for How to Cook Quinoa perfectly in a rice cooker, Instant Pot, or saucepan.
Step 4. (Optional) Serve Kidney Bean Salad with cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, and Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing, or a dressing of your choice.
✔️ Expert Tips
- To make this bowl ahead, prepare the Kidney Bean Salad and refrigerate overnight. Cook the quinoa, and sweet potato, and prepare the dressing for serving.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover Kidney Bean Salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
For every 1 can of kidney beans, cook ¾ cup dry quinoa, and roast 2 chopped medium sweet potatoes. See the full recipe for the Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing here.
🍽️ Related Recipes
👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
Share your Kidney Bean Salad creation with me on Instagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.
I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.
📖 Recipe
Kidney Bean Salad
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooking for Peanuts.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons mustard wholegrain or Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup or coconut aminos, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade: Transfer the red wine vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil to a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine: Transfer the kidney beans, parsley, green onion, and crushed red pepper to a medium bowl. Add the dressing and mix well to combine. Set aside for at least 10 minutes to marinate.
Notes
- To make the Kidney Bean Salad and Quinoa Bowl: For every 1 can of kidney beans, cook ¾ cup dry quinoa, and roast 2 chopped medium sweet potatoes (tossed in olive oil, salt, and dried herbs) at 400ºF for 25 minutes. See the full recipe for the Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing here.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Wendy S. says
Another wonderful recipe from Nisha! I was hesitant that I would enjoy this one, but I had all the ingredients on hand, so I went for it. I did add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, and honey mustard. What a nutritional and filling lunch. Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. Thank you!
Emma says
Hi Nisha, what herbs do you recommend if including the sweet potatoes?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. For longevity, I love marjoram. You can find my brand linked here: https://cookingforpeanuts.com/links/. I also recommend adding dried oregano and thyme.
Deb says
Love this bean salad recipe. So good tasting and so good for you! I weigh out 7 oz, call it my protein and throw it on top of a lettuce and veggi salad. Yum!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
What a great idea! Thank you.
Stefanie says
Made this and both my husband and I loved it! We made it with white sweet potatoes and freekeh instead of quinoa. SO GOOD - I live for bowl meals!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thanks for trying the recipe. I love freekeh! Your sounds so good!
Megha Bahree says
Made this with the quinoa bowl. It was soooo good!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
What a great combination! Thank you for letting me know!