Creamy Pasta Bean Salad Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis pasta bean salad recipe is loaded with fresh vegetables, hearty beans, and dressed in a sweet and tangy dressing! It’s a great vegetarian and high protein side dish for your next summer BBQ, party, or potluck.
This recipe is the perfect combination of creamy macaroni salad and three bean salad for a bright and tangy side dish you’ll love. Serve alongside my creamy Greek Yogurt coleslaw, baked beans, and corn on the cob!
I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy fun summer side dishes with easy plant based ingredients. This three bean pasta salad is a combination of two of my favorite summer salads: creamy macaroni salad and tangy three bean salad. Put them together… and you have a fun and fresh side dish recipe that’s both hearty and satisfying.
The creamy dressing gets a kick from apple cider vinegar, and the salad is loaded with crisp and crunchy veggies. This 3 bean macaroni salad is a fun twist on two classic dishes.
This Pasta Bean Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Satisfying
- Crunchy
- A Crowd Pleaser
- Vegan, Vegetarian and High Protein
Simple Bean and Pasta Recipes
This bean pasta salad is the tastiest, freshest side dish recipe. It’s perfect for a hearty side for the family, and also great to make for company if you are having guests for dinner.
It makes a great BBQ pasta side dish as well – a simple vegetarian recipe to serve with a salad. Pasta is a fast and inexpensive meal. It takes only 20 minutes to cook, so you can enjoy extra time to prep sides or a salad.
Browse all our pasta recipes here!
What’s In This Plant Based Macaroni Bean Salad Recipe?
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
- Green Beans, Onion, Parsley, Celery
- Macaroni Noodles
- No Salt Added Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas (I’d highly recommend a low sodium or no salt version), or you can make your own chickpeas from scratch in the Instant Pot.
- No Salt Added Kidney Beans
- Mayonnaise: you can use regular mayo, or substitute a vegan version like this one here. I found both options taste really good.
- Sweet Relish: which gives this dish a little extra flavor boost and a nice added sweetness.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, which gives this dressing a little extra tang which is really fantastic! I love using apple cider vinegar with the mother which has a great flavor. I think it gives a nice extra sweetness and depth.
- Onion Powder: adds a delicious and savory flavor to this dish as well, and the onion powder pairs nicely with the flavors in the salad.
- White Pepper: I’d recommend white pepper over normal ground pepper – it gives the dish a much lighter flavor and a nice kick.
Canned Beans Versus Homemade
While I love the convenience of canned beans, I usually cook dry beans from scratch in my pressure cooker – the texture is better and it’s more affordable. I use a large 7.5-Quart Instant Pot which is bigger than the standard model so I can batch cook more at a time.
If you don’t already have one, the Instant Pot works wonders for cooking dried beans quickly, with no soaking required! While canned beans are convenient, they are often loaded with sodium. If you buy canned beans, I always recommend using a no-salt-added variety so you can control the amount of salt in your dish.
Next time you reach for canned beans, consider investing in a pressure cooker instead! Homemade beans are incredibly cost efficient, and you can add seasonings and spices to the beans while they cook for extra flavor.
30 Minute Pasta Salads for Entertaining
This bean salad with macaroni is what I call an Easy Entertaining Recipe – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those last-minute potluck invites, or when you just want a quick home-cooked side but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
Browse our Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a tasty meal can be on your table in no time. Just as fast as grabbing a quick prepared side dish from the store (and way more impressive too)!
If you’re heading to a party, potluck, or BBQ, check out my list of top host gifts for summer entertaining for that next-level gift your host will love!
More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Sweet Deli Macaroni Salad Recipe
Gluten Free Amish Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Pasta Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces macaroni use gluten free version if GF
- 1 (14.5 ounce) Can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 ounce) Can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5 ounce) Can green beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 sweet onion finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 6 stalks celery finely diced
- 1/2 bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise substitute vegan version if needed
- 1/4 cup sweet relish
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste (I put in a couple of shakes)
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and put them in a very large mixing bowl.
- Drain and rinse kidney beans, chickpeas, and green beans. Add them to the macaroni
- Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and stir to combine. Add the mayonnaise, relish, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, seasoning salt, white pepper, and Red Pepper Flakes. Stir all ingredients together, and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Cover bowl, and refrigerate 4 hours before serving, or preferably overnight.
- Store in an airtight container. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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