This 5-Bean Salad combines black, pinto, garbanzo, cannellini, and kidney beans with green peppers, pimentos, and red onions in a sweet dressing that ties it all together in the most delicious way!
Let’s talk family vacations for a second. Do you love them, hate them, leave them, take them? We just got back from a HUGE family vacation with my entire family – my parents, my three siblings and their spouses, and 11 kids in total – and I would have to say my answer is “all of the above”.
This is the 7th year in a row my family has vacationed together, and in that time we’ve added one new spouse and 7 new kids to the mix. SEVEN. Which, as you can imagine, has increased the stress level just a bit. But somehow, we keep powering through it. And somehow, at the end of the day, it still feels worth it. Even if we all need a few weeks post-vacation to recover.
So was does a vacation with 21 people look like? Well, we rent a BIG house with a pool nearby….and the rest is history. Not really, but close to it! We spend 4 days hanging out, playing games, swimming, eating, and generally surviving the chaos. It’s fun and relaxing and tense and stressful and wonderful, all at the same time.
Most importantly, it’s time together that we couldn’t get any other way. There’s nothing better than watching the kids bond with their cousins, or hanging out with my siblings playing games late into the night, or having an early morning conversation over coffee with my parents. So even though it gets hairy (and it definitely does) there’s no question that it’s worth every bit of stress.
Not to mention….the food! If there’s one area my family NEVER falls short, it’s in the food department. Seriously – we bring enough food to feed a small army for at least a week. Maybe more. We have snacks and drinks galore, and each family takes a turn making a meal.
This year we made pizzas….but you better believe next year I’ll be adding this 5-Bean Salad to the mix. It’s based on my mom’s Cowboy Caviar recipe, one of our family’s favorites, only I switched up the ingredients.
Whether you’re crazy enough to take a vacation with 11 kids or not, this 5-Bean Salad is perfect for any family gathering, and guaranteed to be a hit! An old classic, reinvented and ready for anything.
The Best 5-Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can pinto beans
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 can dark red kidney beans
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 c. celery diced
- 1 c. red onion diced
- 1 4 oz jar pimentos
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 3/4 c. cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
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Drain and rinse beans.
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Combine drained beans, pepper, celery, onion, and pimentos in a large bowl.
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In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients.
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Bring to a boil; remove from heat and pour over bean mixture.
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Chill until ready to serve.
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Wow!! I am in love with this bean salad! It looks amaaazing!! 🙂
Maryanne | the little epicurean says
I LOVE family vacations, but they’re so stressful to plan. The older I get, the busier everyone’s schedules get! I’m totally craving this 5 bean salad. The photos are so crisp, I just want to dig into the screen 🙂
Sarah says
I have made this bean salad recipe at least 20 times over the past 5 years. It is a go-to. Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’ve always been a fan of bean salad, this 5-bean version looks awesome!
Jess says
Looks refreshing and bean-y! I love new salads! We are just heading home from Cape Cod, it was a great family vacation and honestly, I cannot imagine vacationing with all our family. You’re a brave woman! It sounds like a fun group though!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
I bet those vacations make the best memories! They sound like so much fun! And this bean salad totally looks like the best!
Abeer says
Seriously, all those colors make this the best bean salad I have ever seen! 🙂
Michelle Goth says
What a beautiful salad! You make beans look good! 🙂
Janie says
What is Truvia … is that a sugar substitute? If so, what would be the equivalent using regular sugar?
Brynne says
According to the Truvia website, you use 1/2 the amount of Truvia baking blend that you would use regular sugar, so 1c sugar.
Carolyn says
This is pretty tasty. Next time I make it, I will cut the sugar in half.
Brittany says
What size cans of beans did you use and how many will this feed total? Thanks!
Jullie says
Delicious! Great recipe…I used Rice vinegar as I cannot use Cider vinegar….so good!
Roxanne says
What are the nutrition facts on this recipe?
Kpd says
Can I use splend rather than truvia? Will the amounts be the same!
Noelle says
I have been using this recipe for years and always get asked to share the recipe! It’s such a great crowd-pleasing salad, great for potlucks and cook outs!
Cathy Trochelman says
So happy to hear it! Thank you!
Michelle says
We always vacation together, we have 20!! We always rent a Big roomy place, we have 9 grandkids!! From 2 to 14!! I will be trying this!!
Sandi says
The vegetable oil congealed in 5 bean salad!! What do I do to avoid that
Cathy Trochelman says
Was it when the salad was cold? Usually bringing it back to room temperature will take care of the oil solidifying.
Sandi says
The vegetable oil congealed in 5 bean salad!! What do I do to avoid that?
Cathy Trochelman says
Just bring it back to room temperature.