Heart Healthy Mixed Bean Salad: Turn canned beans, lentils and chickpeas into a flavourful salad that will add a healthy boost to your meals. Perfect year round, this fiber-rich heart healthy lunch salad is a great way of adding legumes into your diet.
This can be served as a side dish to Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs, perfect for potlucks or to make it a main for lunch serve it over spiralized cucumbers.
Every February is Heart Health Awareness Month. This is a topic that hits very close to home. Two years ago my mom had a heart attack, she had a stent put in and is now ok, but has had to make some lifestyle modifications. A week ago my dad suffered from a stroke (it’s why I haven’t been too active on social media this week). Between work and hockey chauffeuring duties, I’ve been at the hospital spending time with my dad. Watching him recover has been heartbreaking as he’s a super active senior, he curls 5 times a week and golfs multiple times in the summer (without a cart!). He’s walking with a walker now, but still has trouble with swallowing, talking and small muscle control on his affected side. Heart disease runs in my family is a big reason why I run, strength train and try to eat healthy.
Today, to celebrate Heart Health Awareness Month, I’d like to share with you my heart healthy mixed beans salad recipe.
What makes Five Bean Salad Healthy?
This recipe is so easy to make, plus it’s a super healthy lunch! Beans are a super healthy, super versatile and super affordable food. Beans are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. Eating beans regularly may decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and helps with weight management!
I try to add beans to most of my salads because legumes (beans) are a great source of plant protein, and they are also low in fat. They’re full of fibre and they have a low glycaemic index (GI) which means they can help you feel full for longer. Beans and lentils can also be a useful source of iron and zinc for vegetarians (along with tofu, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and green vegetables). I add chickpeas to my lunch salads, and I add beans to casseroles, chilis and soups. I recently shared a delicious black bean quinoa salad recipe and today I’m sharing a flavorful heart healthy bean salad that your family and friends are sure to love!
Related: Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad
Why You’ll Love this Heart Healthy Bean Salad
This salad is not only healthy but it also has crazy amounts of textures and flavors that are going on. Heart Healthy Mixed Bean Salad you make my mouth so happy!
Let it also be known that this salad is perfect to make ahead or on the spur of the moment. Let’s be real we all have those moments when your BFF calls you mid afternoon to ask if you want to grill a few burgers with the fam by the pool for an impromptu get-together and you’re then scrambling to figure out what to bring. Enter: heart healthy mixed bean salad, which calls for a can of mixed beans from your pantry and onion and cilantro from the fridge. The dressing is a little honey, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard – things we tend to still have even when we’re turning into old mother hubbard (ladies, we’ve all been there right?).
What do you Need to Make Five Bean Salad?
- Bean Salad mix, rinsed and strained
- Honey
- Salt and pepper
- White wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic cloves, pressed
- Red onion, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
How to Make Five Bean Salad
Make this heart healthy bean salad then check out my Montreal Steak Salad with Pears, Cranberries and Honey Mustard Dressing, Roasted Asparagus Caesar Salad, and Classic Waldorf Salad and more of my healthy salad dressing recipes.
- Rinse and strain the legumes.
- Place strained legumes in a salad bowl with onions and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, olive oil and garlic.
- Pour dressing over the legumes and mix.
- Enjoy!
Make this Heart Healthy Salad then check out my Arugula and Watermelon Salad with Red Onion, Feta and Pine Nuts, Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad Recipe and Walnut Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and more of my Delicious Quinoa Salad Recipes to take to your Next Potluck.
If you’re looking for an easy spring salad then look no further because I’ve got a DELICIOUS salad for you!
Spring Salad with Homemade Green Goddess Dressing
A delicious Spring Salad with mandarin oranges, cashews and avocado paired with a healthy Green Goddess dressing that is so easy to make, crazy delicious and can pull triple-duty as a dressing, dip or a sauce! It’s light & fresh, yet ultra creamy and packed with amazing flavor!
MAKE THIS RECIPE → Spring Salad with Homemade Green Goddess Dressing
Pro Tip
It wouldn’t be right if I left you without a pro-tip from one salad lover to another. A handful of crushed pita chips to top off your portion of salad right before you munch! I live for that crrrunch! Another option is to spiralize some cucumber and serve over the cucumber as a meal.
More Heart Healthy Lunch Ideas:
- Hawaiian Pasta Salad – This Hawaii Inspired Pasta Salad is a refreshing alternative to a Hawaiian Pizza that is perfect for lunch or to take to a cookout, or for a simple dinner at home with some grilled barbecued chicken.
- Strawberry Almond Salad with Honey Vinaigrette Dressing – An easy formula for this salad dressing that you can customize to your taste buds. Tangy, sweet, and delicious!
- Simple Zesty Lime Salad Dressing – This fresh and delicious Zesty Lime Salad Dressing can be used as a marinade for grilled chicken or seafood, or a dressing for your next salad. So Tasty!
- Peach Quinoa Salad – This Peach Quinoa Salad is a delicious salad for any summer party, or a great potluck dish! Double the recipe, because it goes fast!
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Heart Healthy Mixed Bean Salad
Here’s the recipe, enjoy!
Heart Healthy Mixed Bean Salad Recipe
Turn canned beans, lentils and chickpeas into a flavourful salad that will add a healthy boost to your meals. Perfect year round, this fibre-rich salad is a great way of incorporating legumes into your diet. This can be served as a side dish, perfect for potlucks or to make it a main for lunch serve it over spiralized cucumbers.
Ingredients
- 540 ml Bean Salad mix, rinsed and strained
- 1 tsp Honey
- ½ tsp Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 cup Red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Rince and strain the legumes.
- Place strained legumes in a salad bowl with onions and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, olive oil and garlic.
- Pour dressing over the legumes and mix.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This salad tastes best if it has time to marinate in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 3/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 143Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
Feel free to look through the rest of my recipes and if you can’t find the recipe you’re looking for let me know and I’ll do my best to create it for you.
👋 Hello there!
I’m Janice, and I LOVE salads!! I’m also passionate about cooking EASY, healthy meals. Join me as I share healthy and easy salad recipes and my family friendly recipes!
Liz
Sunday 15th of January 2023
First off, I dislike beans more than any other food. I also have very high cholesterol and beans are one of the best things for lowering cholesterol. So I looked for healthy bean recipes I would tolerate. The flavor of this recipe is 5 Stars, delicious. I still don't like the bean texture, but with such a good flavor, I can eat this for the heart benefit.
Elizabeth at Reserved for Running
Thursday 1st of March 2018
I pinned this to try soon! I love beans and I am always looking for different ways to use them. I would love to toss this mixture onto a bed of lettuce.
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
Monday 5th of February 2018
Your pictures are absolutely stunning and I am so jealous! This salad is darn delicious as well. Yummy way to protect that ticker.
Janice - Salads for Lunch
Tuesday 6th of February 2018
Thank you so much for your kind words Patrick! I have just started on my food blogging journey and I feel like out of everything photography has been the hardest part.
Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner
Saturday 3rd of February 2018
I like the combo of mustard and honey in here. Love me some bean salads
Kathy
Monday 17th of May 2021
@Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner, What can you sub, or do, if you don't like mustard?