Low Sodium Three Bean Salad Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our Privacy Policy for more information.
Jump to RecipeThis low sodium bean salad recipe is a bright and fresh side salad with chickpeas, kidney beans, and green beans a light vinaigrette. This is a great summer BBQ side dish or popular side dish for potlucks.
This easy low sodium salad is made with no-salt-added canned beans, which are a great way to make this simple recipe in minutes. I love bringing this dish as a healthier side dish option to enjoy with dinner.
Want more great side dishes? Try our creamy low sodium cucumber salad, low sodium caprese salad, and our favorite loaded low sodium nachos!
This low sodium bean salad with vinaigrette is my absolute hands-down favorite bean salad recipe – I’ve made many, many versions and this one takes the cake! It tastes like a deli bean salad, but it’s better-for-you with it’s no-salt added dressing you can make at home.
This wonderfully tangy and and sweet bean salad is great for a quick lunch or snack, and goes great with a low sodium burger, low sodium steak, or anything from the BBQ. And like most marinated salads: the beauty of this is that the longer it sits, the yummier it gets!
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s sweet, tangy, and earthy.
- An easy side dish you can make in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s hearty and packed with plant-based protein.
- This recipe is made with no-salt-added canned beans, and it’s simple – cooks of any skill level can make this dish.
- A great low sodium side dish salad everyone will love.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Green Beans, Parsley, Green Onions, Lemon, Bell Pepper
- No Salt Added Chickpeas: one of my favorite pantry staple ingredients! You can use canned chickpeas (I’d highly recommend a low sodium or no salt version), or you can make your own chickpeas from scratch with no salt.
- No Salt Added Kidney Beans: Canned or boxed kidney beans are a really fantastic alternative to canned beans. I only use no salt or low sodium beans which gives this dish a really great flavor without the salt.
- Olive Oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Low Sodium Whole Ground Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, I love this fancy Whole Grain Mustard. Using a really good mustard makes all the difference, so don’t use the basic yellow stuff for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Additions and Substitutions
- If you don’t want to use sugar, you can use a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup. You could also use a sugar-free sweetener like stevia or monk fruit – or omit it altogether.
- If you can’t find low sodium relish, you can omit it. Or you can make my favorite salt-free sweet pickles and dice them up instead 🙂
- Add your favorite beans! You could also add pinto beans or black beans into this recipe. Or use yellow/wax beans along with the green beans.
Fresh or Canned Green Beans
If using fresh green beans: Wash the fresh green beans and place them in a medium pot with 3/4 cups of water. Place a lid on the beans and steam them for about 6-8 minutes, until they are a bit softer but still have a bit of crunch to them. Once cooled, cut them into bite sized pieces, I’ve found that 3 to 4 pieces per bean is perfect!
If using no-salt-added canned green beans: drain and rinse beans under cold water.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine the green beans with the chickpeas and kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Chop the bell pepper into small bite sized pieces, and add. Finely chop the parsley and green onion and add to the bowl as well.
Step 2: Make the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, juice the lemons, and combine with the rest of the dressing ingredients: olive oil, sweet relish, mustard, sugar, and black pepper.
Step 3: Mix well until the dressing is a smooth consistency
Step 4: Pour over the bean salad.
Step 5: Mix the salad well to combine. Top with fresh parsley before serving and enjoy.
Expert Tips
Double this recipe! I have made a single batch of this and it doesn’t last long. The recipe below makes a huge batch and is great for meal prep. Make once, and enjoy every day of the week.
Use any color bell pepper you prefer – I like orange, but you can use yellow, green, or red.
Make it ahead. You can prep this bean salad up to 2 days ahead of time. Just be sure to mix it well before serving.
More Low Sodium Bean Recipes
- Low Sodium Black Beans
- Low Sodium Loaded Nachos
- No Salt Added Refried Beans
- Low Sodium Green Bean Casserole
- Low Sodium Pinto Beans
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating & comment below. Your feedback helps other people who are making this recipe.
Our FIRST Low Sodium Cookbook is now available!
Check out Low Sodium Dinners: 100+ Low Sodium Recipes That Actually Taste Good, available here:
Low Sodium Three Bean Salad
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Bean Salad
- 2 14-ounce cans No-Salt-Added Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 14-ounce cans dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups green beans
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 4 green onions
For the Vinaigrette Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lemons juiced, about a 1/3 cup
- 2 tbsp no-salt-added ground mustard
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
Instructions
For the Salad
- If using fresh green beans: Wash the fresh green beans and place them in a medium pot with 3/4 cups of water. Place a lid on the beans and steam them for about 6-8 minutes, until they are a bit softer but still have a bit of crunch to them. Once cooled, cut them into bite sized pieces, I’ve found that 3 to 4 pieces per bean is perfect!
- If using no-salt-added canned green beans: drain and rinse beans under cold water.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the green beans with the chickpeas and kidney beans, drained and rinsed. Chop the yellow bell pepper into small bite sized pieces, and add. Finely chop the parsley and green onion and add to the bowl as well.
For the Dressing
- In a pint sized mason jar: juice the lemons, and combine with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Shake until the dressing is a smooth consistency and pour over the bean salad. Cover the salad and place in the fridge for 1 hour (or overnight) so the dressing soaks into the beans. Serve chilled!
Notes
-
- If you don’t want to use sugar, you can use a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup. You could also use a sugar-free sweetener like stevia or monk fruit – or omit it altogether.
-
- If you can’t find low sodium relish, you can omit it. Or you can make my favorite salt-free sweet pickles and dice them up instead 🙂
-
- Add your favorite beans! You could also add pinto beans or black beans into this recipe. Or use yellow/wax beans along with the green beans.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please note I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from affiliate programs, at no additional cost to you. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
Better than the pre made at the grocery store and more economical
Love! Trying to find better ways to eat beans and this was lovely. I also added corn for a sweeter flavor 🙂
Hi Karolina,
Thank you for rating! Adding corn is a fantastic idea 🙂
Thanks,
Kelly