5 Bean Salad Recipe

Disclosure: This 5 Bean Salad recipe is a compensated post on behalf of Pompeian Olive Oil

The hot summer months are a perfect time to enjoy a light and tasty 5 Bean Salad recipe. Bean salads are the perfect side dish for summer barbecues.

It’s always a good idea to serve a light and healthy side dish alongside some of those not so healthy meals we seem to eat almost every weekend during the summer months.

Beans are high in minerals, fiber and can lower your cholesterol. To make this 5 Bean Salad recipe even more heart healthy I’ve switched the usual vegetable oil called for in many bean salad recipes with Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

How to pick the right olive oil for your recipes and cooking

If you’re planning to switch out a less healthy oil for olive oil it is a good idea to know a few things before you do. All olive oil is not created equally. There are different types of olive oil and each type of olive oil has a different flavor.

You want to make sure you buy a good quality olive oil like Pompeian Olive Oils. Pompeian is the only brand of extra virgin olive oil to carry the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Quality Monitored Seal through the USDA’s Quality Monitored Program.

When selecting an olive oil buy the oil based on quality, not color. Olive oils come in many colors. The color of olive oil is from the type of olives used to make the oil. Color is not an indicator of quality. Read the label!
Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade of olive oil. It has no more than 0.8% acidity.
Extra virgin olive oil is the best grade of olive oil to use for sauces, marinating and salads.
When cooking on a high heat an olive oil blend is the best choice because it can withstand the higher temperatures and not burn.
Buy olive oil in a dark bottle. The dark bottle prevents oxidation of the oil helping it last longer.
Store olive oil in the pantry away from heat and light.

How to make a healthy 5 Bean Salad

Ingredients

15 oz can of cannellini beans
15 oz can dark red kidney beans
15 oz can garbanzo beans
14 oz can golden wax beans
14 oz can cut green beans
1/2 cup minced red onion
3/4 cup Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Rinse and drain well the cannellini, kidney and garbanzo beans and place in a large bowl.
Drain green and wax beans well and then add to the bowl.
Toss beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Mix sugar and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved, then add to the bowl.
Serve 5 Bean salad at room temperature.
Refrigerate leftovers and allow to come to room temperature before serving.