An easy and healthy bean salad recipe that's a modern take on the classic three bean salad. With edamame beans and made without sugar, you'll love this healthy side dish. It's a whole lotta yum that comes together in less than 20 minutes!
Our 3 Bean Salad No Sugar recipe is so good!
You'll love this fresh take on the classic 3 bean salad using high protein soybeans, cilantro, and an easy zesty lime dressing. Our version is sugar free, it's also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
Our high protein bean salad makes the best meal prep lunch since it's hearty and keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge.
My favorite way to serve it is with cottage cheese on the side which makes a 30 g of protein 25 g of carbs vegetarian lunch. Siete grain free chips are delicious for scooping up the beans and the cottage cheese!
I have semi-fond memories of eating lots of 3 bean salad growing up as a child. I don't think the fondness was about the canned bean salad my family would buy at the grocery store, it was more about fond memories of frequent family gatherings I'll always cherish.
The inspiration for three-bean salad variation came from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe I clipped from a magazine 20+ years ago.
What are edamame beans?
Edamame beans are a type of Japanese soybean that is often eaten as a green vegetable. The word "edamame" means "beans on twigs" and they get picked while they are still young and tender. They can be found fresh or frozen in most grocery stores. Raw edamame beans need to be cooked before eating them.
Edamame beans are one of the highest protein beans, plus they have a lot of fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Ingredient list
- edamame beans (soybeans) - fully cooked -we buy the frozen soybeans that have already been cooked, you just need to defrost them first.
- fine sea salt
- canned kidney beans - rinsed and drained
- canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - rinsed and drained
- red onion - red onions are the only type of onion we'd recommend since they taste good eaten raw.
- fresh cilantro - if you don't like cilantro, swap it with parsley or other fresh herbs to taste like basil.
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh lime juice - please don't use concentrate. Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar can also be used.
- lime peel
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Variations
Use other kinds of beans- While we swapped the traditional green beans for soybeans, you of course can use green beans, yellow beans, black beans, pinto beans, or any other variety.
Other mix-ins - Other ideas to add include quinoa, red bell pepper slices, cucumbers, or avocado cubes.
How to make edamame bean salad
- In a medium bowl combine the defrosted edamame beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, red onion, and fresh cilantro.
- In a small bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, lime peel, and a ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings as needed such as the salt, cilantro, or lime juice. Stir again before serving.
- If you have time, letting the salad sit for 1-2 hours helps the flavors to blend. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
- Most frozen edamame beans come pre-cooked, instead of boiling the edamame beans, you can also defrost them in the fridge in advance. Try to buy the already shelled edamame beans or you'll be spending way too much time shelling them before you get started.
- Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
More salad recipes
- Mexican shrimp salad
- Avocado kale salad
- Instant Pot German potato salad
- Egg and avocado salad
- Arugula salad with burrata
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Recipe
Healthy Edamame Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen shelled edamame beans 340 g, defrosted
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 1 15-oz can of kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed and drained
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Ok to use ⅛ cup
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice about 2-3 limes
- 1 teaspoon shredded lime peel
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine the defrosted edamame beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, red onion, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, fresh lime juice, lime peel, and the salt.
- Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss it to coat. Stir well before serving. Serve it with cottage cheese for a high protein lunch!
Video
Notes
- Most frozen edamame beans come pre-cooked, instead of boiling the edamame beans, you can also defrost them in the fridge. Try to buy the already shelled edamame beans so you don't have to shell each bean.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- You can cut the oil in half to lower the fat and still retain the recipe flavor.
- Letting the salad sit for a bit helps to blend the flavors. Add more salt, cilantro, or lime if preferred.
- Great additions include mixing in quinoa, corn, black beans, and green beans, or using other types of fresh herbs such as fresh parsley, dill, or basil. Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar can be used instead of lime juice.
- This is about 8 side dish servings, a great lunch portion is 150 g with 160 g of low fat cottage cheese for a high protein lunch with 28 g protein, 26 carbs, 7 g fiber, and 7 g of fat.
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