Research suggests that in 2020, the average American consumed around 264 pounds of meat over the course of the year. In contrast, similar data gathered in 2017 confirmed that the average consumption of legumes was just 12 pounds. So, we’re just gonna say it: beans are underrated.
This is likely because, when they are eaten in the US, they are often relegated to the side of the plate. But these humble legumes have so much potential. While they do indeed make for a delicious side, you also can’t beat a giant portion of bean salad for lunch or dinner. Find some of our favorite recipes below—but first, here’s more about the benefits of adding more beans to your diet.
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Should we all be eating more beans?
It’s a big yes. To start with, beans—like kidney beans, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), butter beans, black beans, and cannellini beans—are a great source of plant-based protein. They also offer fiber (which supports digestive and bowel health), vitamins and minerals (like iron, magnesium, and folate), and antioxidants, which are plant compounds that help tackle disease-causing free radical damage in the body.
If you want to understand how good beans really are for our health, you need only look to the Melis family of Perdasdefogu, Sardinia, aka the longest-living family in the world, who eat garbanzo beans multiple times a day. “Beans are an amazing food and they are closely related to longevity in those who eat them regularly,” Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDE Nutrition Education Specialist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), recently told VegNews.
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This is largely due to their fiber content. “The fiber in beans helps to usher out extra cholesterol if blood levels are high, and then, again through its impact on the gut microbiome, leads to reduced cholesterol production in the liver,” she added. High cholesterol is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US.
In early 2024, one study published in the medical journal Maturitas also reported that eating beans was associated with better diet quality. This is because they help to add “shortfall nutrients” to the American diet. Shortfall nutrients are nutrients that are under-consumed by a significant percentage of the population. In the US, these are nutrients like fiber, potassium, and iron, for example.
Lentils, another plant-based legume closely related to beans, are another good source of these nutrients. In fact, one cup of cooked lentils contains around 15 grams of fiber.
“All it takes is the addition of one or two servings of canned pulses like dry beans and/or chickpeas to help close nutrient gaps and improve diet quality.” —study author Yanni Papanikolaou
But beans aren’t just good for us; they’re also good for the planet. Growing beans typically require less water and energy compared to raising livestock. They’re also nitrogen-fixing, which, in layman’s terms, means they help support soil health by boosting its nitrogen content.
Get more beans into your diet with these tasty salad recipes
And another great thing about beans? They taste great and are versatile, too. While you can use them in many different ways (from chilis to brownies), one of the best ways to enjoy them has to be in a hearty bean salad. Below, we’ve picked just a few of our favorites.
Kiersten Hickman
1 Dolly Parton’s 3-Bean Salad
This vintage recipe from the country music queen has stood the test of time. Originally published in the 1980s, this dish from Dollywood Presents Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking uses three different types of beans (kidney beans, green beans, and yellow wax beans) with a delicious dressing, green onions, and parsley. You’re guaranteed to be stumblin’ to the kitchen to make it again and again.
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The Yummy Vegan
2 Vegan Sesame Ginger Edamame Crunch Salad
Edamame beans, which are young, green soybeans, are packed with protein. In fact, one cup of cooked edamame will give you around 18 grams of the nutrient. They’re really tasty, too, especially when they’re combined with crunchy vegetables like bell peppers and carrots and an aromatic sesame ginger dressing.
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3 Chickpea Salad With Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
There are many tasty ways to enjoy chickpeas, but this Middle Eastern-inspired dish has to be one of our favorites. It’s rich, packed with flavor, and it’s simple to whip up, too. The zesty lemony vinaigrette dressing comes together with just four simple ingredients.
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4 Vegan Warm Butter Bean Salad
Also known as lima beans, nutrient-dense butter beans are a great salad ingredient, as they help to add a pleasant creamy texture. They’re often served cold, but this salad from Bryant Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom cookbook is best served warm with a kick of pili pili oil.
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Hannah Kaminsky
5 Vegan Seared Watermelon Niçoise Salad
You might not initially think that watermelon and cannellini beans will go well together in the same dish, but this vegan niçoise salad recipe will prove that they’re a tasty combination—especially when they’re combined with other flavorful, nutrient-dense ingredients like cherry tomatoes, olives, and a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
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6 Vegan Warm Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Arugula Salad
Taken from The Buddhist Chef’s Vegan Comfort Cooking cookbook, this delicious salad isn’t made with beans, but lentils. As mentioned above, lentils are another powerhouse plant-based legume, rich in essential nutrients like protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
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Jackie Sobon
7 Meal-Prep Southwest Salad
Black beans are the key component in this delicious southwest salad recipe, which is ideal for meal prepping when you know you’ve got a busy week ahead. The dish is also packed with ingredients like bell peppers, grape tomatoes, red onion, and radishes, which are all tossed in a tangy cilantro-jalapeño-cashew dressing.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
