An easy and healthy bean salad recipe that's a modern take on the three bean salad. With edamame beans and made without sugar, you'll love this healthy side dish. It's a WHOLE LOTTA YUM and comes together in less than 20 minutes!
3 Bean Salad No Sugar
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. We know you'll love it as much as we do!
Serve the healthy bean salad as a vegan lunch like we love to do or serve it for dinner with blackened chicken tenders and air fryer sweet potato cubes.
Love salads?? then you'll want to try our avocado shrimp cucumber salad and our kale and avocado salad.
Why You'll Love This!
- It's a modern take on the classic 3 bean salad, yet ours adds edamame beans instead of soggy green beans.
- Our simple lime dressing adds a punch of flavor you'll keep craving.
- The traditional bean salad is made with sugar, ours is sugar free and yet even better!
- The healthy bean salad is gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and refined sugar free.
Ingredient Notes
- edamame (soybeans) - fully cooked -we buy the frozen soybeans that have already been cooked, you just need to defrost them or quickly heat them.
- fine sea salt, divided
- kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- red onion
- fresh cilantro
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh lime juice
- 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 to this salad are making it an edamame bean salad with quinoa or adding in more vegetables such as avocado cubes or red bell pepper.
Step by Step Instructions
Our healthy bean salad is a snap to make! Just defrost the frozen edamame beans, prep the veggies and beans, make a simple lime dressing, and toss.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the frozen edamame and cook the beans for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse them with cold water.
- In a medium bowl combine the 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 remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss it to coat. Stir well before serving. Enjoy! Serves 8.
Recipe Tips
- Most frozen edamame beans come pre-cooked, instead of boiling the edamame beans, you can also defrost them in the fridge overnight. Try to buy the already shelled edamame beans or you'll be spending way too much time shelling them before you get started.
- The edamame bean salad will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Great additions or swaps 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.
Common Questions
Our 3 bean salad no sugar goes great as a side dish to roast or fried chicken, burgers, pork chops, ribs, or as a main dish vegan lunch. We love to serve it as a healthy lunch salad over a bed of greens like arugula.
Edamame beans are a type of 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 a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. They also contain phytoestrogens, which can have health benefits for some people.
The healthy bean salad recipe will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
More Salad Recipes
- Mexican shrimp salad
- Avocado kale salad
- Instant Pot German potato salad
- Egg and avocado salad
- Arugula salad with burrata
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Healthy Bean Salad with Edamame
An easy and healthy bean salad recipe that's a modern take on the three bean salad. With edamame beans and made without sugar, you'll love this healthy side dish!
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen shelled edamame (soybeans) - fully cooked
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1 15-oz can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-0z can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon shredded lime peel
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil 4 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the frozen edamame and cook the beans for 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse them with cold water.
- In a medium bowl combine the 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 remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss it to coat. Stir well before serving. Enjoy! Serves 8.
Notes
Most frozen edamame beans come pre-cooked, instead of boiling the edamame beans, you can also defrost them in the fridge overnight. Try to buy the already shelled edamame beans or you'll be spending way too much time shelling them before you get started.
The edamame bean salad will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Great additions or swaps 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.
Leave a Reply