This bean salad is as flavourful as it is colourful! It's packed full of creamy pinto beans and fresh veggies and has a tangy and lightly spiced dressing. It's perfect as a side dish, in a salad buffet, and even as a light meal in its own right served with your favourite bread. Plus, it's ready in just 15 minutes!
Table of Contents
Beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, so we are always working to come up with new recipes that are bean-tiful and delicious... Enter this yummy Mexican-inspired pinto bean salad!
The softness and earthy, nutty flavour of pinto beans - surprisingly similar to the one of chestnuts - make the perfect base for this colourful salad. It's made with plenty of fresh veggies for crunch, avocado for creaminess and a refreshing lime dressing that brings all the flavours together!
This simple bean salad is easily meal-prepable for a nourishing lunch on the go. We also think it's a great salad to make in advance to take to a picnic or potluck!
This pinto bean salad recipe is:
- Vibrant
- Refreshing
- Easy-to-make
- Vegan-friendly
- Gluten-free
- Nutritious
- Quick
- Naturally gluten-free
- And perfect for summer gatherings
Ingredient tips
Here’s everything you need to make this vegan pinto bean salad:
Pinto Beans: You can choose to use canned beans for convenience, or use home-cooked beans.
Here's how to cook dried pinto beans at home:
- Sort. Check for stones or broken beans.
- Soak. Place dried beans in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, quick-soak the beans by simmering for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave for 1 hour.
- Drain the water from the soaked beans and rinse.
- Cook. Place the soaked beans in a large cooking pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. You can also add ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of dried beans.
- Simmer for 45-90 minutes until the beans are tender and evenly cooked throughout. Cooking time can depend on the age of the beans. Aim for a texture that is fully cooked and soft, but not mushy.
- Drain and let cool before using them in the salad. Cooked beans will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
½ cup dried pinto beans = approximately 1 ½ cups of cooked beans or a drained 15-ounce can of beans
As far as veggies go, you can swap them out to suit your taste or what you've got. See below in the substitutions section!
For the avocado, make sure it's ripe. Even so-called 'ripe and ready' avos aren't always so when you buy them. Avocados are ripe when they feel soft to finger pressure, but haven't gone dark on the inside.
Step by step pictures
There's just three simple steps to make this easy pinto bean salad:
For the full, adjustable and printable recipe, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step 1 - In a large bowl, combine the cooked pinto beans, red bell pepper, chopped red onion, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro / coriander leaves, and cooked or canned corn kernels.
Step 2 - In a separate small bowl or cup, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground cumin, chili powder, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Step 3 - Pour the dressing over the beans and veggies and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
Substitutions and variations
Use a variety of beans. You can use a mix of beans, or substitute black beans, cannellini beans or kidney beans for a different texture and flavour profile.
For an extra kick of heat, add diced jalapeño pepper or red pepper flakes / chilli flakes.
Change up the veggies to suit you. Don't like tomatoes? Then roasted butternut squash or sweet potato is a delicious alternative. Not so keen on red onion? You can use spring onion or shallot for a more mild taste. We sometimes like to add celery or cucumber too depending on what needs to be used up.
Not a cilantro fan? You can use fresh parsley or basil instead.
Run out of lime juice? In a pinch, you can use lemon juice or more red wine vinegar. Use 2 tablespoons to substitute for 1 lime.
Serving
If you have the time, it's nice to let the beans and veggies marinate in the dressing for about 30 minutes before serving. We think the flavours mingle even better and the onions get a bit milder when marinating overnight.
As part of a main course, we like this salad served with a wholegrain such as brown rice or bulgur wheat. We also like it with a slice of good bread, such as our wholesome super-seedy rye sourdough.
It's also great served with a green salad and tortilla chips for a light meal!
As a side dish, it goes well with other Mexican-inspired dishes such as tacos or in a burrito bowl. We also like it with our baked tofu and potato salad!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir through before serving to redistribute the dressing.
More bean recipes
I hope you loved this easy bean salad recipe! If you're looking for more recipes that incorporate wholesome legumes, try these:
📖 Recipe
Pinto Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (1 can, 240g drained) pinto beans canned or cooked from dried
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- ½ cup (85 g) corn kernels canned or cooked from fresh or frozen
- 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro / coriander leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pinto beans, diced red bell pepper, chopped red onion, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, cooked or canned corn kernels and chopped cilantro / coriander leaves.1 ½ cups (1 can, 240g drained) pinto beans, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small red onion, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 ripe avocado, ½ cup (85 g) corn kernels, 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro / coriander leaves
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, ground cumin, chili powder, minced garlic and salt.2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pour the dressing over the beans and veggies and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Place in the fridge to marinate until serving, or enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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