This vegan Mexican Four Bean Salad is going to be your new favorite picnic or potluck side dish- because it is so flavorful and delicious, but totally easy to make! The creamy avocado and cumin dressing has a kick of smoky chipotle chili that really peps up the canned beans and edamame too.

a woman's torso with a red shirt, hands holding a white bowl with a colorful bean salad with cherry tomatoes and cilantro

Table of contents

Why We Love This Recipe For Mexican Four Bean Salad

When I started testing this bean salad recipe I was immediately reminded of a warm ocean breeze in Mexico. One bite and it brings you back to warm weather and sunny days. So even if you’re making this salad on a gloomy day, it will be summertime in a bowl!

It’s fantastically easy to make. It’s a great recipe to serve at a Mexican food party or to make as a quick 15-minute lunch. Just open some cans of beans, thaw out some corn and edamame, add in cherry tomatoes and cilantro and toss it together with an easy avocado dressing. Done!

an overhead view of mexican bean salad before it is mixed together

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Avocado

The avocados should be perfectly ripe but still somewhat firm to the touch. If you’re unsure if you’ve got a good avocado on your hands you can remove the little stem end piece and look at the inside color.

Cilantro

Fresh cilantro really helps elevate this dish. You can find fresh cilantro in the produce section of any larger grocery store. Organic fresh herbs are best.

Beans

For this four bean salad I used black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans and edamame. If you prefer to swap any of them out you can either use more of another, or use a different bean like white cannelloni beans. I use canned beans for efficiency.

Corn

Corn helps to bring a little sweetness to this dish. I prefer to just use frozen corn but if you have time (and patience) you can shuck your own corn.

Cherry tomatoes

I used regular cherry tomatoes in this salad but you can always use heirloom cherry tomatoes if they happen to be in season. If you can’t find good cherry tomatoes you can dice up Roma tomatoes instead.

Additional Ingredients

  • ¼ cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Mexican Bean Salad

Step 1: Make dressing

Puree ½ avocado, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup cold water, oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and pepper in a food processor or mini prep until smooth.

Step 2: Assemble salad

Combine black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, edamame, and corn in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and stir to coat.

Step 3: Add cilantro & tomatoes

Chop the remaining 1 ½ avocado and add to the beans. Add the remaining ¼ cup chopped cilantro and the cherry tomatoes. Gently fold in and serve.

a side view of mexican four bean salad

FAQs and Expert Tips

What to use instead of a food processor to make the dressing

One option is to use a smoothie blender. If you don’t have that either you could mash the avocado with a fork and finely chop the cilantro.

How to make this salad ahead

Make the dressing ahead and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. You can also assemble the salad ahead and pour the dressing over before serving. I would wait to add the avocado so it stays fresh.

How to store this salad

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Additional Mexican Salads To Try

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Mexican Pasta Salad
This Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad for Salad Month is Low-Carb and Gluten-Free and will be the star of any Cinco De Mayo celebration! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster

Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
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Easy Healthy Taco Salad
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Mexican Corn Salad

Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter where I share weeknight meal plans delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Mexican Four Bean Salad- Vegan and Gluten-free #salad #sidedish #potuck #picnic #barbecue #glutenfree #vegan

Mexican Four Bean Salad

★★★★★

5 from 6 reviews
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Description

A simple side dish with tons of flavor! Mexican 4 bean salad, with corn, cilantro and creamy avocado dressing. Serve it at a picnic or bring it to a pot luck- everyone can enjoy it because it is vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ripe avocados, divided
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro, divided
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 fourteen-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 fourteen-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 fourteen-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Instructions

  1. Puree ½ avocado, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup cold water, oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and pepper in a food processor or mini prep until smooth.
  2. Combine black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, edamame, and corn in a large bowl. Pour dressing over the bean mixture, and stir to coat.
  3. Chop the remaining 1 ½ avocado and add to the beans. Add the remaining ¼ cup chopped cilantro and the cherry tomatoes, and gently fold in.

Notes

Cooking Tip:

If you don’t have a food processor don’t panic! One option is to use a smoothie blender instead. If you don’t have that either you could mash the avocado with a fork and finely chop the cilantro.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: side dish
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2/3 cup
  • Calories: 169
  • Sugar: 3
  • Fat: 6
  • Saturated Fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 21
  • Fiber: 6
  • Protein: 6

Keywords: bean salad,healthy bean salad, mexican bean salad

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