Red kidney bean salad is the perfect cold side dish. It’s fresh, crunchy, and coated in a delicious, easy, and creamy dressing. This no-lettuce salad is sure to become a family favorite summer side dish!

Kidney Bean Salad

This simple kidney bean salad with mayonnaise dressing is the best easy summer side dish. I love bringing it to cookouts, barbecues, and potlucks. It’s a nice alternative to the classic three bean salad, and it pairs so well with other classic BBQ side dishes, like pasta salad, potato salad, and baked beans. It’s also perfect for meal prep if you want easy lunches to eat throughout the week.

Kidney bean salad really is the perfect cold side dish to enjoy on a hot summer day. It’s packed with fresh veggies, like red bell pepper, red onion, celery, and corn. Then it’s flavored with sweet pickles and a delicious homemade creamy dressing.

I love the addition of corn and red bell peppers to this red bean salad. They add a sweet, fresh flavor and extra layers of texture that make the salad really nice. If you prefer a more classic, old fashioned salad, feel free to leave them out though.

There’s so much flavor in the simple dressing. All you need is a bit of mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. It’s the perfect mix of creamy, sweet, tangy, and savory. This really is one refreshing salad that everyone will love!

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Ingredients

Kidney Beans: This is the base of the salad. Kidney beans are a hearty, dense, rich bean with a lightly sweet flavor. You can swap them for chickpeas (garbanzo beans), white beans, or a combination of the three if you prefer.

Red Onion: I prefer using red onions anywhere that they’ll be eaten raw because they have a milder flavor than yellow onions.

Celery: Celery adds a delicious crunch and fresh flavor that lightens up this salad.

Red Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper also adds a fresh flavor with a delicious crunch and slightly sweet flavor.

Sweet Pickles: Sweet pickles are both tangy and sweet. Those flavors balance out the savory flavors in this bean salad and pair especially well with kidney beans. If you prefer a tangier flavor and less of a sweet flavor, you can use dill pickles instead. You can also use sweet pickle relish, just be sure to use a bit less of it.

Sweet Corn: This is another sweet flavor that pairs well with kidney beans. They also add a texture variance that’s really nice.

Chives: These add a mild onion flavor and make the salad taste more fresh.

Mayonnaise: This is the creamy base of the dressing. It adds a rich flavor, but it has a mild enough flavor to let the other ingredients in the dressing shine. I prefer the flavor of real mayonnaise, but feel free to use Miracle Whip if that’s what you prefer.

Sour Cream: Sour cream adds a different creamy flavor and a bit of a tangy flavor that helps balance out the other flavors. I like using a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream, rather than just mayonnaise, because the result is still creamy, but feels lighter and not too rich. If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt can also work.

Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity in apple cider vinegar adds a tanginess that balances out the creamy and sweet flavors.

Honey: Honey adds sweetness that balances out the rich and tangy flavors nicely. You could swap this for granulated sugar or agave if you like.

Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: These add a savory depth of flavor to the dressing. Adding that extra layer of flavor really brings it to the next level, even though it’s subtle.

Salt and Pepper: This classic flavor duo is essential in this recipe. The salt enhances all the other flavors, and the spice of the pepper balances out the rich and sweet flavors.

How To Make Kidney Bean Salad

Prepare the kidney beans: Begin by draining and rinsing the kidney beans. Shake off as much water as possible before transferring them to a large mixing bowl. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)

Combine the salad ingredients: To the bowl with the kidney beans, add the finely chopped red onion, celery stalks, red bell pepper, sweet pickles, and drained sweet corn. Stir these ingredients together until they are well combined.

Prepare the dressing: In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the dressing is smooth and creamy.

Combine the salad and dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the kidney bean and vegetable mixture. Mix thoroughly to evenly coat everything with the dressing.

Chill the salad: Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Allow the salad to chill for a while to let the flavors meld together.

Serve the salad: After chilling, give the salad a good stir, sprinkle it with finely chopped fresh chives, and serve. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.

Pro Tips

• Rinse the beans thoroughly: This not only helps remove some of the excess salt, but it helps improve the texture of the beans. The general rule of thumb is to drain and rinse beans for any dishes that have a crunchy texture, like a salad. Since they’re such an important ingredient in this recipe, making sure they have the best texture possible matters.
• Adjust the dressing to your taste: Some people like their dressings tangier and some like them sweeter. Feel free to adjust the apple cider vinegar, honey, and other flavors to your taste. If you like the salad to be extra creamy, you can even make a larger batch of dressing to go with the salad.
• Make the salad ahead and let it chill: This dish is a great make-ahead option. The flavors meld together and deepen as it rests in the fridge. I find that the flavors are best the day after it’s made.

Are Kidney Beans Good In Salad?

Yes! Since kidney beans have a hearty, firm texture, they hold up really well in salad. They also have a nutty and lightly sweet flavor that makes it versatile and helps it pair well with a lot of classic salad ingredients.

Why Is My Kidney Bean Salad Watery?

If your salad is watery, it likely means that you didn’t let your beans dry long enough after rinsing them. It could also be because you stored it in your fridge long enough that the vegetables had a chance to release their liquid. Even though leftovers stay good for up to 3 days, I wouldn’t recommend making this more in a day in advance of when you plan to serve it for the best results.

How Long Does Kidney Bean Salad Last?

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just keep in mind that the texture may change as the vegetables rest and release their juices. I find that it’s best the day after it’s made. That’s the perfect time because the dressing has had a chance to soak into the ingredients to flavor them.

Can You Freeze Kidney Bean Salad?

I wouldn’t recommend it. The raw vegetables will become mushy after they’re thawed, and the dressing will likely separate as it thaws, which makes it watery and unappealing.

What To Serve With Kidney Bean Salad

This is the perfect side dish for a potluck or BBQ. It pairs so well with grilled meats or grilled black bean burgers, and tastes amazing with some Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn or some loaded baked potato salad.

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Salad Recipes

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other salad recipes. Some reader favorites are:

• Roasted Crispy Chickpeas
• Ranch Pasta Salad
• Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
• Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
• Bow Tie Pasta Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad

I hope you love this kidney bean salad as much as I do! It’s one of my favorite summer side dishes.