Healthy Three Bean Quinoa Salad

This delicious and healthy three bean quinoa salad with kidney beans, chickpeas and edamame is bursting with flavor, fiber, and plant-based protein! It's a great make-ahead side dish for picnics and summer cookouts, and it's also perfect for meal prepping easy lunches. (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free)

What's better than one bean? Three beans! Chickpeas and soybeans and kidneys, oh my! You'll find them all in this delicious three bean quinoa salad, along with plenty of fresh, crunchy veggies, herbs, and a simple oil and vinegar dressing.

Why You'll Love This Bean and Quinoa Salad

While most three bean salads are made with kidney beans, chickpeas, and green beans, this one uses protein-rich edamame instead of green beans. The beans get mixed in with fluffy quinoa for a huge boost of plant-based protein. This salad also has a tons of crunchy veggies - including bell peppers for natural sweetness - and herbs for lots of fresh flavor. It all comes together in one bowl with a simple dressing of just red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. It couldn't be easier!

I love making this salad for lunches for the week or to serve as a side dish with simple summer dinners or picnics.

Is This Quinoa Salad Healthy?

This three bean quinoa salad has everything you need in a nutritious vegetarian main dish or side. It's loaded with both plant protein and fiber thanks to multitasking beans and quinoa. (Quinoa is also a complete protein - great for my vegetarian friends!) It also has lots of fiber, micronutrients (that's vitamins and minerals), and antioxidants from the multiple veggies and herbs. Finally, the simple dressing leaves out the added sugar, which can often be present in bean salads in favor of a simple vinegar and oil mix. I find it doesn't need any sugar since the bell peppers are sweet enough. To keep the sodium lower, make sure to use low sodium kidney beans and chickpeas, and be sure to rinse them - rinsing canned beans decreases the sodium by up to 41%!

The Ingredients

• Quinoa - Regular white quinoa or tricolor work well. This is a great use for leftover quinoa!
• Kidney Beans - Light or dark. Look for low sodium or no-added-salt.
• Chickpeas
• Edamame - Find pre-shelled edamame in the freezer aisle.
• Onion - I love red onion for a pop of color.
• Celery
• Bell Pepper - I use red and yellow. If you just have one color, that's cool, too!
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Green onion
• Red wine vinegar - White wine vinegar would also work.
• Olive oil - Use a flavorful variety.
• Salt and pepper

How To Make It

1. If you haven't already, cook the quinoa.
2. Chop the veggies and herbs. I use about a half-inch dice on the veggies.
3. Drain and rinse the beans.
4. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. No need to pre-mix the dressing, just pour it all in the bowl! Mix well and refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

Tip: If you're sensitive to the bite of red onion, you can soak it in water for about 30 minutes, then drain it before using it in the salad. This can help you avoid onion breath!

How Long Will Three Bean Quinoa Salad Last In The Refrigerator?

Stored properly in an airtight container, this three bean quinoa salad will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

More Quinoa Salads You'll Love

• Blood Orange Quinoa Salad
• Roasted Eggplant and Kale Quinoa Salad
• Shrimp, Orange and Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Strawberry Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Cara Cara Orange Arugula Salad with Quinoa
• Red White and Blue Berry Quinoa Salad

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

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This post was originally published May 2016 and has been updated.