Grilled Vegetables and Mixed Bean Salad
It’s time to dust off your grill and get ready for warmer weather with lighter recipes. It’s easy to use your grill to cook more than the usual hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks. Take a page from Bobby Flay and think outside the box for an adventure in grilling. Skewer up vegetables and fruit – just about anything can be grilled if you keep an eye on it. Vegetables in particular turn into a different ingredient when you grill them first. You’ll taste a new depth of flavor since grilling brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and they make an elegant side dish to complement a grilled steak.
In our mixed bean salad, we give asparagus and baby artichokes the grill treatment. Baby artichokes are just as delicious as large artichokes, and this recipe gets them out of the standard spinach and artichoke dip. If you’ve never prepared fresh artichokes before, don’t be intimidated by their tough exterior. Just give them a wash then snap off the tough outer dark green leaves until you’re left with the tender pale green leaves. Cut them in half and they’re easy to lay flat on a hot grill to cook. Combine the grilled veggies with hearty Randall Mixed Beans and salty capers before topping the salad with Parmesan or Pecorino shavings. This salad is a tasty side dish for any grilled meat.
Grilled Vegetables with Mixed Beans Salad
1 24 oz jar Randall Mixed Beans, drained and rinsed
12 baby artichokes, trimmed and cut in half
1 bunch asparagus
7 scallions, sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 small lemons, juiced
2 tbs capers, 2 tbs liquid reserved
1 tbs + 1 tsp garlic, minced
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese, Shavings to taste
Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Peel the skin of the lemons over a sauce pan making sure to capture the lemon oil in the pan. Add olive oil, thyme and garlic then bring oil mixture to a low boil. Cook the mixture until the garlic turns golden brown and strain the infused olive oil into a large bowl. Toss artichokes and asparagus in the oil and then grill on medium heat until tender and show grill marks. While the vegetables are cooking, add remaining dressing ingredients to the infused oil and whisk to combine. Chop the grilled veggies into bite size pieces and add with the sliced scallions to the bowl and toss to combine. Fold in the Randall Mixed Beans then garnish with shaved Parmsean or Pecorino before serving.
Bean Salad Recipes for Spring
Whether you’re looking for a recipe to take to a get together or a tasty side dish for a wholesome dinner, bean salads are classics that never go out of style. We’ve collected eight of our favorite bean salad recipes for your spring menus.
Download our free recipe guide packed with the following easy to follow recipes:
- Spring Bean Salad
- Greek White Bean Salad
- Pinto Bean and Tuna Salad
- Mixed Bean and Corn Farmer’s Market Salad
- Easy Bean Taco Salad
- Pinto Bean, Roasted Pepper and Steak Salad
- Old Fashioned Three Bean Salad
- Mixed Bean Salad
Keep a few extra jars of Randall Beans on hand so you can create these salads at a moment’s notice.
Fill our the form below for a Free copy of the Randall Beans Spring Salads Whitepaper.
Easy Bean Taco Salad
Everyone has a go-to recipe when it comes to feeding a crowd. It’s the dish you’re asked to bring to a party or get together. Heck, you might be invited to the party because of your cooking! Your family and friends love it and you know it like the back of your hand. It doesn’t have to be fancy as long as it tastes great and serves a big group.
Our easy bean taco salad can be served as a casual main dish or as part of a party spread. You can make the meat and bean mixture in advance, then reheat it just before tossing with the salad ingredients to serve. The recipe calls for lean ground beef, but it works well with ground chicken or turkey, too. Look for cherry tomatoes since they taste better than the hot house tomatoes available in early spring. It’s a great way to get kids to eat salad and they’ll love the corn chips mixed in. Serve with traditional taco toppings like sour cream and hot sauces for guests to add their favorite touches.
Easy Bean Taco Salad
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup taco sauce (any favorite commercial brand)
- 2 cups Randall Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium head iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters and shredded
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups small corn chips
- Extra taco sauce
- Sour cream
Note: This mixture may be cooked ahead and reheated in the microwave just before assembling the salad.
To assemble the salad:
Toss together the shredded lettuce, onions and cheese and tomatoes in a large bowl. Just before serving toss in the warm beef and bean mixture; then the corn chips.
Pass the extra taco sauce and sour cream to spoon over the salad after it is served.
6 to 8 servings.
Spring Bean Salad Recipe
Deciding on what recipes to make for Easter? Of course you have to serve the well-loved traditional dishes — there would be serious disappointment if scalloped potatoes and pea salad didn’t make it on the table. In between the classics, there’s always room to sneak in a few newer recipes.
Our spring bean salad recipe would fit well on anyone’s Easter table. It’s full of brightly colored fresh vegetables that welcome the beginning of spring. Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and Randall Great Northern White Beans are mixed with fragrant garlic and meaty olives. Coarse ground mustard adds a touch of spiciness without being overpowering.
The recipe calls for tarragon wine vinegar which you can either buy or make at home. Tarragon has a light licorice smell and taste which is used often in French cooking. You can find it with specialty vinegars and olive oils in gourmet grocery stores or try your hand at making your own by combining fresh tarragon with white wine vinegar and letting it infuse for at least two weeks.
Concerned about what to serve visiting vegetarians or vegans? They’ll enjoy this recipe as much as you do.
Spring Bean Salad
2 cups eggplant, diced
3/4 cups Vidallia or sweet onion, minced
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tbs herbs de Provence
4 tbs water
2 tsp. tarragon wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup olives, fruity green olive or Nicoise minced
1 1/2 tsp. mustard , coarse ground
24 oz jar Randall Great Northern Beans, drained
1 tbs fresh thyme, leaves only
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tbs olive oil
Combine olives, tomatoes, mustard, onions, beans, zucchini and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Heat the olive oil in a skillet until shimmering. Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook until golden on each side then remove, reserving oil for eggplant. Mince browned garlic and add to ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add eggplant cubes and herbs de Provence to the skillet with oil. Brown the eggplant cubes until they start to stick. Add water and cook until the eggplant is opaque, about 2 minutes. Toss the warm eggplant with the remaining ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
Valentine’s Day White Bean Salad
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the dinner reservations or big bouquets of roses on Valentine’s Day, but many people choose to stay home for a quiet night in and a homemade meal. You can still include the fancy foods and chocolates but making a delicious home-cooked meal is a gift in itself.
Our Valentine’s Day white bean salad is a light and fresh recipe featuring in-season winter citrus and Randall Great Northern Beans. Peppery grated radishes add crunch and a spicy bite. The dressing is made from tart grapefruit and sweet blood orange juice. Finely grated ginger gives this salad a spicy-sweet flavor. This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it making it a perfect dish to serve for a special meal. You can concentrate on the more time intensive menu items and pull this salad out just before serving.
To create the presentation in the photo, use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to form the salad. Slice a thin piece of radish and carve out a heart shape.
Valentine’s Day Salad
1 pink grapefruit, sectioned
1 blood orange, sectioned
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp dried rosemary
5 cloves
1 tbsp shallots, minced
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup Randall Great Northern White Beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
2 radishes, coarsely grated
2-3 leaves radicchio leaves, shredded for garnish
Section the grapefruit and blood orange by cutting off the ends so the fruit rests flatly on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut away the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, ct between the membranes to section the fruit. Set the fruit sections aside. Squeeze any remaining juice from the membrane shell into the bowl. Strain the juice to remove any seeds into a small sauce pan. Add the red chili flakes, black peppercorns, dried rosemary and cloves then bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat, allowing to steep for five minutes. Strain mixture and discard the spices. Return seasoned juice to the sauce pan and add the sugar. Bring back to a boil and reduce to a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk in the olive oil. Mix grated radishes, ginger, shallots, grapefruit sections and blood orange sections together. Toss salad with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with the shredded radicchio.
To form a round salad like pictured above, use a round cookie or biscuit cutter and fill it with the salad. Slowly remove the mold to keep salad in shape. Use a small paring knife to create a radish heart.
Winter Citrus and White Bean Salad Recipe
Soups and pastas are the foundation of our winter menu, but it’s time to lighten up with one of winter’s treats: citrus. Citrus’ peak season is the middle of winter which is a perfect relief from the unending cold. Grocery stores shelves are stocked with everything from grapefruits to clementines giving us an abundance of sunny fruits to choose from.
Citrus is a workhorse ingredient with multiple uses. You can use the zest for a punch of flavor to cookies or pasta dishes. Citrus juice makes a great marinade or dressing and the fruit segments add a tart and tangy taste to salads. This recipe calls for sectioning the citrus fruit. Cut away the peel and pith of the citrus with a sharp knife, then cut out the flesh between the membranes. You’ll be left with the membrane core which you can use for the dressing by squeezing the remaining juice into a bowl.
In our winter citrus and white bean salad, we use refreshing grapefruit and Meyer lemons. We add white beans and cooked white fish for filling protein and richness.
Winter Citrus and White Bean Salad
1 white grapefruit, sectioned
1 Meyer lemon, sectioned
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 cup Vidallia or sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup seedless cucumber, finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fennel bulb, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint, loosely packed and finely chopped
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup Randall Great Northern Beans, not drained
1 cup cooked white fish, flaked
1/4 tsp. sugar
Segment both the grapefruit and the Meyer lemon. Squeeze the remaining membrane core to release the juices into a small sauce pan. Coarsely chop the fruit and set aside. Add the red chili flakes to the citrus juice and set over medium heat. Reduce until there is only one tablespoon of liquid left. Combine the liquid with the fruit and all remaining ingredients. Toss to combine and chill until cold before serving.
Pinto Bean and Tuna Salad
When the days get shorter and it feels like you’re eating at midnight, a hearty salad can be filling without taking hours to cook. Pinto beans and tuna star in this salad which is packed with fresh flavor while still filling. The carrots, celery and scallions provide crunch to balance the richness of the pinto beans and the meatiness of the tuna. This salad will satisfy your family and it’s good for them too!
This hearty salad is created when pinto beans and tuna are combined with shredded carrots and minced celery. Olive oil and lemon juice provide a classic dressing base seasoned with fresh and dried herbs. Salad greens provide vitamins and nutrients without extra calories. Try this salad as an indulgent lunch or as main dish for a busy weeknight dinner. It will easily serve four.
Pinto Bean and Tuna Salad
1 cup Randall Pinto Beans, lightly drained
2 cans chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
2 stalks celery, minced
1/2 carrot, shredded
3/4 cup kale, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, removed from stems
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups greens, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine the pinto beans, tuna, celery, carrot, kale, and scallions in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the thyme, marjoram, oregano and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to create a dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the dressing to the pinto bean and tuna mixture. Serve over power greens.
Japanese Mixed Bean Salad
Japan’s culinary tradition is based on subtlty and layers of flavor. It’s not going to blast you out of the water with spices and heat. Instead, it thrives on building layer after layer of flavor and texture until you have a dish that sings in perfect harmony.
Our Tokyo Bean Salad starts with Randall Mixed Beans, drained. Red miso paste provides the first layer of flavor, gently fermented and a little tangy. Then classic flavors like garlic and ginger are added. Seaweed provides crunch, texture and a big boost of nutrition. The complex tasting but easy to make dressing mixes sweetness, vinegar and even a hint of heat to create something that tastes completely unique.
Serve this one alongside teriyaki chicken and stir fried vegetables or over brown rice as a vegan main course. Then, as the Japanese would say, itadakemasu. Let’s eat!
Japanese Mixed Bean Salad
1 48 oz Randall Mixed Beans, drained
1 heaping tablespoon red miso paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
1/2 cup wakeme seaweed soaked in 1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
Nori seaweed krinkles, for granish
Directions:
1. In a salad bowl, place drained Randall Beans. Drain the wakeme, reserve the liquid. Add wakeme to salad bowl
2. Gently heat the wakeme broth. You should have about 1/2 cup. Add remaining ingredients except for sesame oil and nori krinkles Mix well and heat sauce until aromatic
3. Let mixture cool. Add sesame seed oil. Toss salad with dressing and garnish with nori
Thanksgiving Bean Side Dishes
What’s traditional on your family’s Thanksgiving table? The turkey’s a given, of course. You’ve got to have cranberry sauce. But every family has special traditions that are theirs and theirs alone. Maybe you smother your mashed potatoes with noodles or you have to have Aunt Jean’s pumpkin cheesecake. It’s those special touches that make every family’s holiday unique.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for new traditions. This year, try out one of these delicious bean recipes. Who knows, you might have a whole new family favorite.
Mashed White Beans with Cauliflowers and Leeks
Sure, mashed potatoes are the standard, but they can be so heavy and starchy. These mashed white beans leave out the milk and butter and boost the flavor with leeks, which have a mild onion flavor, and fresh chives. Add in a bit of cauliflower for a creamier texture and you’ll have a dish just as satisfying and homey as mashed potatoes, with a fraction of the calories. You know what that means: more room for pie.
White Bean Casserole Provencal
The acidity of the tomatoes and white wine in this French-inspired bake will cut through some of the heavy flavors in traditional Thanksgiving suppers. White beans are cooked until bursting and topped with crunchy, garlicky bread crumbs. The contrasting textures are satisfying and sophisticated.
White Bean Salad with Mint and Red Onion
Crisp and cool, this salad is a great palate cleanser before you go back for round two on the smorgasbord. The sharp, fresh flavor of spearmint is completely unexpected, but when paired with sweet red onions and tangy capers, it all comes together in a dish that’s perfect for your Thanksgiving meal.
Any favorite Thanksgiving bean recipes to share?
Pinto Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Steak Salad
Don’t you just love it when you can be creative with leftovers? You open the refrigerator door, scan the shelves, pull out some leftover steak and if you’re lucky, you create a magnificent bean salad like this one.
Chances are, you can put this entire recipe together with items you already have in your fridge. The lime and garlic dressing packs a big burst of flavor, and pairs well with tender spinach. We’ve used jasmine rice to add substance and texture to this recipe, but it would also work well with leftover quinoa or wild rice.
Sometimes our favorite meals come together by accident (well, almost by accident; you’ve probably noticed we have a thing for beans), and this is one of our favorite happy accidents.
Pinto Bean, Roasted Red Pepper and Steak Salad
Baby spinach
Arugula
1 1/2 cups Randall Bean Pinto Beans, drained
Steak, sliced
1/2 cup oil cured black olives, chopped
1 red pepper, roasted and sliced
3 scallions, sliced
2/3 cup rice, cooked, room temperature
Dressing
2 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Vidalia onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup oil (canola, grape seed or vegetable)
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl except for the oil. Slowly drizzle the oil into the mixture while constantly whisking.
In a large salad bowl assemble all the salad ingredients and gently toss with desired amount of salad dressing.
