Filling, flavourful and SO easy to make, this chickpea and kidney bean salad is my tangy, herby take on a classic bean salad with a balsamic vinaigrette – perfect as a light meal or picnic side!
I gotta be honest with you: as a dietitian and a plant-based eater, there are a LOT of Tiktok trends I wish would go away…but one I can absolutely get behind?? How creator Violet Witchel’s viral dense bean salads have made this retro salad relevant again because I love a bean salad so hard.
Like, could there be an easier – or more craveable – way to get the world to eat more beans? All you have to do is open up a couple of cans, do a bit of chopping and in 15 minutes you’ve got a bean salad that even salad-averse folks will gobble up and ask for more.
It’s a great BBQ or picnic side, but it’s also pretty perfect when you want a low effort, no cook dinner that’s super nutritious. Beans are such a powerhouse of plant-based protein, fibre (yes, you need more!!) and minerals.
Beans are also super affordable, whether you buy canned or cook your own from dried. And considering how pricey groceries are these days..it’s a major win.
I’m also big on herbs here, both for flavour and nutrition. You can use whatever you have on hand really, but I’m a big fan of dill these days. You’ll see that this salad uses a LOT of fresh herbs, so you don’t have to worry about wasting the bunch or clamshell you just bought. Or, if like me, you have herbs trying to take over your garden, this will help, ha!
Want to fall in love with eating more plants? Grab a copy of my latest plant-based cookbook Plant Magic!
How to make this ridiculously easy and delicious bean salad
PS…the full, detailed recipe is in the recipe card below, but I just want to highlight a couple of things to get us started!
Let’s talk beans. When I was testing this recipe, I really wanted to put my own spin on things, so I tried using white beans – so often my go to in plant-based recipes – but honestly, they were super meh. I just really like a firm and flavourful bean here.
Flavourwise, I wanted a balance of tang and sweetness, so I’ve used my practically drinkable “creamy” balsamic dressing here alongside chopped dates and capers. Likewise, you can ditch the dates if you don’t have them on hand or swap in olives for capers.
More easy, healthy bean + lentil salad recipes:
- Nourishing Kale and Quinoa Salad with Edamame
- 20 Minute Cold Lentil Salad with Herbs
- 30 Minute Quinoa Lentil Salad with Kale
- 20 Minute Lentil Walnut Taco Salad with Creamy Dressing
15 Minute Herby Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 bunch parsley finely chopped, about 1 – 1 ½ cups
- 1 bunch dill finely chopped, about ½ – 1 cup
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved or quartered if large
- 14 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and WELL drained
- 14 ounce can kidney beans rinsed and WELL drained
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds raw or roasted
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion about 1/4 medium onion
- ¼ cup dates sliced, I like the firmer deglet noor variety here
- 2 tablespoons capers patted dry
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil only if you’re frying the capers
- 1 batch Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Instructions
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First things first: make sure your beans are well drained! You don’t want a watered down salad.
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In a large salad bowl, combine the kidney beans, chickpeas and red onion with HALF of the balsamic dressing. Let this sit as you prepare the rest of the veggies!
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If you’re frying the capers, here’s how you do it: warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add one caper to the oil. Once it starts sizzling, the oil is hot enough to add the rest of the capers.
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Let the capers sizzle and pop until they look crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Some of the capers will look like the petals are blooming. Remove to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
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Add the tomatoes, parsley, dill, sunflower seeds, and dates to the salad bowl and toss again. Sprinkle the capers over top and serve with remaining dressing on the side.
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Make ahead tip: this salad keeps SUPER well, even with the herbs, for a few days. And letting it sit for 15-30 minutes helps the beans suck up all that delicious flavour. Of course, if you are making this a day or two in advance and want the herbs to be super fresh, you can absolutely keep the herbs in a separate sealed container and add them right before serving.
Notes
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