Do NOT underestimate the humble bean! Packed with important vitamins and minerals, bean salads are an easy way to add colourful, low fat and nutritious ideas to your home or foodservice menu. The best part – these ones cost as little as £1 per portion!
All dishes feed two adults as a vegetarian main or four adults as a side dish.
Black Eyed Beans with Garlic and Spinach
A staple in Turkish Cypriot cooking, this simple but tasty salad is high in fibre and iron rich – just make sure you have a little wedge of bread to mop up those juices!
A customer Instagram picture: beans salads with other BBQ sides
Drain two tins of black-eyed beans, add two cloves of grated garlic, the juice of two lemons, heaps of olive oil and seasoning. Meanwhile, blanch a large bag of fresh spinach in boiling water, drain and stir through the beans. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the tasty juices.
FACT: Beans are full of vitamins, nutrients, and a great source of fibre. You can either soak and boil dried beans or, if you’re in a hurry, canned beans are also tasty and nutritious
Cannellini Beans with Mint and Coriander
A deliciously minty, crunchy salad – this side is perfect with Cannellini beans and an easy way to your five a day.
Simply drain two tins of beans, top with three diced peppers (red, yellow, and green (the ‘rainbow’), add thinly sliced red onion and add a handful of fresh mint and coriander. Add the juice of one lemon and plenty of salt and pepper.
If you prefer your salad to be more peppery, swap the mint and coriander for rocket leaves.
Give it a good stir and enjoy on its own as a vegan free light meal or add as an accompaniment to your favourite grilled meats.
Top Tip: Pulses can be quite bland, so add a sprinkling of roaster pumpkin, sunflower and chickpeas for extra crunch and nutrients!
Feta and Chickpea Salad Toppers
Turn a light side salad into a delicious, low-cost main with a generous helping of chickpeas and a sprinkle of filling feta cheese!
Chickpeas are an excellent source of iron, protein, and fibre. Added to a salad, they help to create a more substantial nutty and filling flavour. Meanwhile, crumbling feta in gives each mouthful an extra lemony zap! If you’re feeling adventurous, why not add some tangy capers. Drizzle in your favourite homemade dressing and add plenty of seasoning to serve.
Top Tip: Add a slice of crusty bread to your bean salad to mop up all the exquisite juices!
Top Tip: Bean salads can be mellow in flavour so capers can add an extra tangy kick!
For more information on how to preparer pulses, click here.
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