Mediterranean Black Bean Salad
Mediterranean black bean salad is fresh, bright and so flavorful. Made with a light lemony dressing, this cucumber black bean salad requires no cooking and is ready in under 10 minutes. Perfect as a light main dish or a simple side dish any time of year. Great for cookouts, picnics, or even meal prep.
If you love Mediterranean inspired salads, you have to try this Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad or Mediterranean Chopped Salad.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – no cooking required to make this healthy summer black bean salad. Simply chop the veggies, drain the beans and make the vinaigrette. Quick and easy and ready in under 10 minutes.
- Simple ingredients – full of fresh summer vegetables, this Mediterranean black bean salad is made with ingredients you can find at any grocery store or summer farmers market (and your pantry). You will want to use this simple lemony vinaigrette on all your summer salads this year!
- Budget friendly – because this is made with canned beans, in season produce and mostly pantry ingredients, this salad is super budget friendly, especially if you have a garden growing with tomatoes or fresh herbs.
- No corn, no mayo salad – typically when you think of a black bean salad, you likely think of a Mexican version with corn and spices. This Mediterranean black bean salad is different though, it’s made with Mediterranean flavors, like this lemony vinaigrette, fresh veggies and flat leaf parsley for flavor.
- Great for meal prep or make ahead meals – if you want to prep this in advance, it lasts for a few days in the fridge, making it perfect for cookouts or picnics you want to prep for in advance. You can also make it as a simple meal prep lunch for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
Lemon vinaigrette
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe. The combination of the lemon juice and red wine vinegar really make this dressing unique and very flavorful. If you don’t have lemon juice, you could use all red wine vinegar (about 1/4 cup total) or use something like white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon juice.
- Red wine vinegar – red wine vinegar is the perfect compliment to the lemon juice for this vinaigrette. It helps to balance out the flavors and really adds to that Mediterranean vibe. You could use all lemon juice in a pinch or use apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil helps to create the vinaigrette. Oil is important to help balance out the acidity of the vinegar and helps to coat the veggies, making everything really flavorful.
- Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard is really key to making a simple vinaigrette. It helps to emulsify (or thicken) the dressing, helping the oil and vinegar become one.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, dried oregano – these simple ingredients make the dressing flavorful but don’t overpower the veggies. The salt is used to bring forward all the flavors, garlic powder adds a slight garlic flavor and the oregano helps create more of a Greek/Mediterranean inspired dressing.
Black Bean Salad
- Black beans – I recommend using canned black beans to make this recipe super easy to put together in a pinch. Be sure to drain the canning liquid and rinse the beans well. I recommend soaking the beans in fresh water for 2-3 minutes before draining again and using in the salad.
- Tomatoes – Tomatoes add a slight sweetness to the salad and also provide a beautiful contrast against the green veggies. I prefer to use cherry or grape tomatoes, as they are very visually appealing and very easy to slice in half and use in the salad. Use whatever kind of tomatoes you have on hand though.
- Red onion – red onion adds a bite to the salad, creating some contrast in flavor and texture to the sweeter cucumbers and tomatoes.
- Cucumber – a thin-skinned cucumber is best for this salad. These include English cucumbers and Persian cucumbers. These are typically a little sweeter than traditional cucumbers and you don’t have to peel the skin or scoop away the seeds.
- Flat leaf parsley – fresh flat leaf parsley really adds so much freshness and an herby quality to this salad that is perfect for the summer. I prefer and recommend flat leaf parsley over curly parsley. If you don’t have parsley, you can use basil, mint, oregano, dill or cilantro.
- Capers (optional) – I love adding capers to the dressing (or you could add them right into the salad). Capers provide a briny flavor (similar to kalamata olives) that really make the salad pop with flavor. If you can’t find capers, use chopped kalamata olives or simply omit them.
How to make Mediterranean black bean salad
Make the vinaigrette by combining the ingredients in a the bottom of a large bowl for the salad. Once you measure out all the ingredients, stir well until well combined.
Next drain and rinse the black beans. I like to soak the beans in clean water once they have been rinsed. This helps make them easier to digest.
Cut the cucumber into about 1/2 inch cubes – slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again until you have 4 long pieces of cucumber. Then slice these into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the cucumber to the bowl with the dressing.
Slice the tomatoes in half (or chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces if you are using a larger tomato). Add the tomatoes to the bowl with the cucumber and dressing.
Chop the onion, you want these to be small but not finely chopped pieces. The onion should be small enough to blend into the salad but big enough that you can still see them. Add the onions to the bowl with the rest of the veggies.
Roughly chop the parsley. I like to bunch the parsley up as tight as possible and try to roll it into a cigar shape. Then chop moving from one side to the other. This keeps you from having to chase the parsley around your cutting board. Add the parsley to the bowl with the veggies and dressing.
Drain the black beans of the fresh water and add them to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and serve immediately or let sit 15 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge to marinate the flavors together more.
Top tips
- For the easiest prep, be sure to use a thin-skinned cucumber (like an English cucumber or Persian cucumber). These thinned skinned cucumbers don’t require any peeling and the seeds are very small and easy to digest, making them the perfect salad cucumber.
- If you are using a fresh cucumber from your garden and it has a thicker skin, peel at least half the skin away and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds for the best texture and taste.
- Rinse the beans well after draining off the canning liquid. I like to soak the beans in fresh water for a few minutes if possible, I find that this really makes them easier to digest. If you make your own black beans (I like to make my beans in the Instant Pot, you will need about 3 cups of black beans, drained).
- Great for cookouts, picnics or meal prep. You can easily make this the morning before a cookout or picnic and it will be super flavorful and delicious when served later in the day. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can make this up to 3 days in advance for meal prep. The cucumbers do lose some of their crunch after the first day but the salad is still delicious.
- Serve this cucumber black bean salad cold or at room temperature. It can also handle being out in the sun for a bit since there is no mayonnaise in this dressing.
- If you don’t love the harsh bite from fresh red onion, soak the onion in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar for 5 minutes. This will mellow out the onions, making them slightly sweeter. Drain the onions before adding to the salad. Use this vinegar in the dressing or discard it.
Other additions
- Avocado
- Bell Pepper
- Roasted red pepper
- Artichoke hearts
- Hearts of palm
- Kalamata olives
- Fresh herbs like mint, oregano, dill, basil
- Corn
- Feta cheese (regular or dairy free)
- Cooked quinoa or brown rice
- Cooked pasta or orzo
- Protein – like chicken, shrimp, salmon, canned tuna (or salmon) or tofu
What to serve with healthy black bean salad
Make this salad even more filling and more of a full meal by adding some protein. Some great additions would be Italian Chicken Bites, Air Fryer Shrimp, Air Fryer Salmon Bites, canned tuna or canned salmon or Balsamic Tofu.
Serve along side of Watermelon Gazpacho Soup for the ultimate summer soup and salad combination.
Make a meal from small appetizers. This Mediterranean black bean salad would go great along side of hummus, Mediterranean Eggplant Dip, crackers, lentil flatbread, air fryer gnocchi, or air fryer zucchini and pesto for dipping.
Serve with Turmeric Garlic Rice for a simple but filling vegan meal.
Common questions
What are the best cucumbers to use for salad
I recommend using a thin-skinned cucumber for salad, since they are easier to prepare. Unlike thicker skinned cucumbers, thin skinned cucumbers don’t require the skin to be peeled or the seeds to be scooped out.
You can find thin-skinned cucumbers at most grocery stores. The most common are English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers:
- English cucumbers (or hot house cucumbers) are usually quite large and are almost always wrapped in plastic (to protect the thin-skinned cucumber).
- Persian cucumbers are smaller in size and almost always come in a bag of 6 or more. They are not as small as pickling cucumber but are smaller than most regular cucumbers you see in grocery stores.
Can you use regular cucumbers?
Yes of course. If you have regular cucumbers on hand or you aren’t sure if your cucumber is thin skinned or not, I recommend that you peel at the skin (or leave ribbons of skin behind) and scrape out the seeds of the cucumber before cutting it for the salad.
This helps to ensure that your salad is easy to eat and that the extra seeds don’t water down the dressing.
Can you use bottled lemon juice?
If all you have on hand is bottled lemon juice you can use it (you will want 2-3 tablespoons depending on personal preference). However, I do recommend fresh lemon juice if possible, it just makes the salad taste that much fresher.
Can you make this salad with dry black beans?
If you don’t want to use canned black beans, you can always make your own black beans in advance and let them cool. I like to use the Instant Pot to easily cook dry black beans in about 1 hour. Be sure to drain the liquid from the beans before using them in this salad. You will need about 3 cups of cooked black beans.
Can you make this salad with other beans?
Yes, this would be great with white beans (like cannellini beans, great northern white beans, butter beans (lima beans), chickpeas or navy beans. You could also try it with pinto beans.
Can you make this healthy black bean salad in advance?
This recipe is great to make in advance. Because there is no lettuce in the salad, it does not wilt like other salads do, even with the dressing. However, it’s important to note that the cucumbers will start to get soggy and lose some of their crunch after the first day. If you are making this in advance for a party or cookout, I recommend making it the morning of (or at least waiting to add the dressing until the morning of the event).
To help create the best texture, I recommend cutting the cucumbers larger (in ½ inch pieces) to help retain some of the crunch.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge – Store leftover Mediterranean black bean salad in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – I do not recommend freezing this salad.
Substitutions
- Lemon juice – you could use all red wine vinegar or replace the lemon juice with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Red wine vinegar – you could use all lemon juice (add the juice of 1.5 lemons in total). You could also try balsamic vinegar as a substitute.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil is best for this dressing but you could also use avocado oil or any other neutral oil you have on hand.
- Dijon mustard – if you don’t have Dijon, there really isn’t a good substitute for it. Simply omit it and know that your dressing may not come together easily.
- Spices – if you don’t have garlic powder, you can use onion powder or 1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced. If you don’t have oregano, use italian seasoning or dried basil.
- Cucumbers – if you don’t have cucumbers on hand, you could use canned artichoke hearts (1 can, drained and chopped).
- Tomatoes – tomatoes add color and sweetness, you could also use red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper).
- Red onion – if you don’t have red onion, you could use shallots or omit the onion.
- Flat leaf parsley – use fresh basil, cilantro, mint, dill, oregano, or chives to the salad if you don’t have parsley. Note that you won’t need as much mint or oregano as the parsley, as those have very strong flavors (I would start with half, and add more if needed).
- Capers – the capers are optional. If you want the flavor but don’t’ have them on hand, you can use chopped kalamata olives instead.
If you love this recipe, you should try
- Italian Green Bean Salad
- Greek White Bean Salad
- Italian White Bean Salad
- Chopped Mediterranean Salad
Mediterranean Black Bean Salad
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans - 14 oz cans
- 1/2 large English cucumber
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp capers
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 large large lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Drain the black beans and rinse them well. Soak the black beans in fresh water 2-3 minutes.
- Make the dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Measure the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard and spices into the bowl and stir well until well combined.
- Cut the cucumber in 1/2 inch pieces. I like to cut them in half lengthwise, then half again lengthwise. Then cut into 1/2 in pieces. Add the cucumbers into the bowl with the dressing.
- Cut the tomatoes in half, chop the red onion and finely chop the parsley. Add the veggies in the bowl with the veggies.
- Add the capers and drained black beans to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir well and serve immediately or allow to rest 15 minutes – 2 hours to let the flavors combine even more.
Notes
- For the easiest prep, be sure to use a thin-skinned cucumber (like an English cucumber or Persian cucumber). These thinned skinned cucumbers don’t require any peeling and the seeds are very small and easy to digest, making them the perfect salad cucumber.
- If you are using a fresh cucumber from your garden and it has a thicker skin, peel at least half the skin away and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds for the best texture and taste.
- Rinse the beans well after draining off the canning liquid. I like to soak the beans in fresh water for a few minutes if possible, I find that this really makes them easier to digest. If you make your own black beans (I like to make my beans in the Instant Pot, you will need about 3 cups of black beans, drained).
- Great for cookouts, picnics or meal prep. You can easily make this the morning before a cookout or picnic and it will be super flavorful and delicious when served later in the day. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can make this up to 3 days in advance for meal prep. The cucumbers do lose some of their crunch after the first day but the salad is still delicious.
- Serve this cucumber black bean salad cold or at room temperature. It can also handle being out in the sun for a bit since there is no mayonnaise in this dressing.
- If you don’t love the harsh bite from fresh red onion, soak the onion in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar for 5 minutes. This will mellow out the onions, making them slightly sweeter. Drain the onions before adding to the salad. Use this vinegar in the dressing or discard it.
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