This simple marinated bean salad features a bevy of vibrant vegetables that lend crunch against a fibrous two-bean base, finished with an easy 3-ingredient marinade. After a few hours' rest in the fridge, this Marinated Rainbow Bean Salad offers a wonderfully balanced salad that is subtly sweet and tangy.
My Mom and I affectionately call this 'smelly salad'. Because of the apple cider vinegar :). I got this recipe from my Mom. This is another of her favorites, Tuna Salad with Shoestring Potato Sticks.
Recipe Overview
Tender black and garbanzo beans contrast beautifully with crunchy veggies, including onion, bell pepper, corn, and celery, and a simple 3-ingredient marinade that offers a sweet and tangy backdrop.
You'll be doing all of 30 minutes of prep time, with an additional salad resting time of a minimum 6 hours, but ideally overnight (24 hours).
Make this salad your own by adding different kinds of veggies. Why not get some shredded carrot or Tajin or pinto beans involved?
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Super easy! I often use a mix of canned and fresh vegetables to create a quick salad - canned corn, black beans, and garbanzo beans are my shortcut go-tos, while reaching for fresh onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and celery. This recipe is also super easy to modify; for example, use fresh corn instead of canned or pickled red onions instead of fresh. The dressing is also super easy - only 3 ingredients - and can be prepared while you are chopping vegetables. If you like this dressing, you'll love this Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing.
- Tastes great! The salad marinade is sweet and tangy and subtle, and it really brightens up every bite, keeping everything fresh tasting. Plus the contrasting texture from crisp diced veggies against tender beans is super enjoyable. If you like this salad, you must try Mexican Dense Bean Salad.
- Great for prepping ahead. I think this salad is best made the night before eating to let the marinade do its thing, but you should let it sit for at least 6 hours. And it lasts for up to 4-5 days in the fridge; the vegetables will slowly soften over time, but I'm always impressed with how well it's held up on Day 3.
Ingredients
This salad shortcuts a few ingredients by using canned and a simple 3-ingredient marinade dressing brings all of the flavors together with sweet and tangy flair in every tender-crisp bite.
- Canned black beans - 1 15.5-ounce can, drained and rinsed. You could also prepare the beans from dried, but I like reaching for canned. If you're a canned black bean fan, check out this easy Black Bean Soup.
- Canned corn or hominy -1 15.5-ounce can drained. Or you could also use the same amount of frozen corn or freshly grilled corn would be amazing.
- Canned garbanzo beans - 1 15.5-ounce can, drained and rinsed. You could also prepare the beans from dried, but I like reaching for canned.
- Red onion - finely chopped. I prefer red here for the pop of purple color lending itself to the rainbow.
- Green bell pepper - 1 cup chopped, which is approximately one large pepper.
- Red, yellow, or orange pepper - 1 cup chopped, which is approximately one large pepper. Choose one color only, or get really vibrant and use a little of each color.
- Jalapeno - 1-2 finely diced jalapenos, seeds and pith removed. Use 1 or 2 to achieve your desired level of spice.
- Celery - 1 cup chopped. I like to choose the celery pieces closer to the center so the pieces end up more uniform in size.
- Marinade (Dressing) - equal parts (½ cup) apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, granulated sugar. You give it a quick simmer to cook the sugar into the liquid to create a sweet and tangy marinade.
*This makes approximately 6-7 cups of salad. I like to add a little salt and sometimes a few red pepper flakes before eating.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Don't try this salad right after making it, or even after a couple of hours. Why? Because the dressing needs time to work it's magic, and if you try it too soon, you'll be disappointed in the flavor. This salad needs at least 6 hours (but best if you can let it rest overnight for 24 hours) for the dressing to really infuse into and marinate the beans and veggies. The result of your patience will be a marinated salad that's both subtly sweet and tangy, designed to complement and not overshadow the salad ingredients.
Variations
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper when making the marinade to add some heat throughout the salad. Just a few dashes of cayenne will give you a nice bite and ideal if you don't want the flakes in your salad. Start with ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and increase if you'd like it spicier.
- Herby - Sometimes I add a little basil to the marinade to add some earthiness. Dry basil can be added during cooking, but add fresh basil as the marinade is cooling, so it steeps as it cools.
- Make It Unique - Sliced black olives, a sprinkle of Tajin, pinto beans, and English cucumber (with the seeds removed so they don't add moisture and dilute the marinade) are just a few ways to punch up or further customize this salad. I bet a bit of mango or jicama would be a great addition as well.
Rainbow Marinated Bean Salad - Directions
Beginning with cooking the marinade gives it time to cool while you're preparing your vegetables. Chop, dice, strain.
- Step 1: Add apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and sugar to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let cool.
- Step 2: Rinse and strain the canned black beans, corn (or hominy), and garbanzo beans. Add to a large, lidded bowl.
- Step 3: Dice red onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and chop celery. Add freshly chopped veggies to the bowl.
- Step 4: Pour the cooled dressing over the bowl, and stir a few times with a spatula to combine.
- Step 5: Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving, but overnight (24 hours) is best. Keep stored in a lidded bowl for up to 4-5 days.
- Step 6: Dish up and enjoy!
Top Tips for the BEST Rainbow Marinated Bean Salad
Tip 1. Prepare the dressing first. It needs to cool before pouring over the veggies, at least to room temperature.
Tip 2. Get creative. I often add sliced black olives or banana peppers to this salad. Don't be afraid to swap in ingredients or add ingredients. The recipe includes plenty of dressing so you could easily add in a new ingredient or two.
Tip. 2.1. But don't forget to consider how an ingredient might fare after 3 days. I don't recommend adding tomato or cucumber (unless you use an English cucumber and remove the seeds to keep things crisp) or any other veggie that's on the moist side. These ingredients will add moisture, diluting the marinade.
Tip 3. Use easy substitutions. Instead of canned corn, grilled corn would be amazing and you could also tag in frozen instead. You don't have to use red onion, but I like the color contrast (I'd recommend yellow onion or slice up some green onions). Use those mini sweet peppers instead of bell peppers for sweet pops of color that are right at home in this salad. You could also use pinto beans instead of garbanzo beans or black beans.
Recipe FAQs
Refrigerated in a lidded container, this salad lasts up to 4-5 days. Ideally, eat within 3 days as the vegetables will slowly soften over time.
If you enjoy marinated salads, try these easy Marinated Tomatoes.
Yes! In fact, that is encouraged because this marinated salad gets better as it sits. If you can wait 24 hours, do it; otherwise, give it a minimum of 6 hours.
This is another great salad that gets better as it sits, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.
Personally, I use a spoon so I get extra marinade in every bite. A fork is fine, I just find the spoon easier to eat the salad with.
Related Recipes
Other side dishes you may enjoy.
If you tried this Rainbow Marinated Bean Salad recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Rainbow Marinated Bean Salad
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15.5 ounce corn (or hominy)
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup red, yellow, or orange bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
Marinade (Dressing)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Add apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and sugar to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let cool.½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup sugar
- Rinse and strain the canned black beans, corn (or hominy), and garbanzo beans. Add to a large, lidded bowl.1 15.5 ounce can black beans, 1 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, 1 15.5 ounce corn
- Dice red onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, and chop celery. Add freshly chopped veggies to the bowl.1 cup red onion, 1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup red, yellow, or orange bell pepper , 1 cup celery
- Pour the cooled dressing over the bowl, and stir a few times with a spatula to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving, but overnight (24 hours) is best. Keep stored in a lidded bowl for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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