Are you a bean salad fan like me? I’m totally in love with Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts – this bean salad recipe brings great flavors and textures to the table.
I’m on the constant search for pinto bean recipes that I can whip up into refreshing and nutritious salads to have on hand in my fridge.
Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We?? 🙂
Salads and more salads. I love ’em. If you follow my blog here, you likely already know this!
One of my most requested salads is Fresh Summer Corn Salad. If I had a $ for every person that wanted that salad recipe, I’d be a zillionaire….no lie.
I personally enjoy Crunchy Corn Salad with Fritos as one of my summer favorites. Combining the creamy dressing with the corn and the crunchy Frito chips is just super satisfying. I could eat my weight in this particular corn salad. 🙂
And, of course, potato salad reigns around here too. My Grandma Lucille’s Warm German Potato Salad is a hot topic, and when I need a potato salad for an outdoor potluck, I always take Instant Pot Zesty Potato Salad with Brocccoli because it’s got an oil-based dressing that’s safer for warm weather than the usual mayo-based potato salad dressing.
If you’re looking for a summer salad that really makes a STATEMENT, you need to know about the Delta Cornbread Salad. When you layer it into a clear glass trifle dish, it is absolutely stunning!
And please don’t overlook another summer favorite: Tortellini Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Basil and Corn. Omgosh. Delish.
3 good reasons to love this recipe –
- Serve it as a side salad, or add meat and make it a main dish.
- Beautiful colors, textures, and flavors…all in one, single bowl.
- It’s healthy!
What ingredients do you need to make Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts?
- Pinto beans (or any bean you prefer, actually)
- Celery
- Red onion
- Grape tomatoes
- Toasted walnuts
- Feta crumbles or goat cheese crumbles
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
How to Make Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts in 3 Easy Steps
- Prepare the dressing by whisking the vinegar with the oil until very well combined. (I usually place the ingredients in a salad cruet or Mason jar and shake well.)
- Place the beans, celery, red onions, tomatoes and walnuts into a serving bowl; drizzle with your desired amount of the prepared dressing; season the salad to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with feta and parsley. Serve at once!
Common Questions Asked About
This Recipe
Can I add meat to this salad to make a main dish?
- Such a great question…and YES!! This salad would be delicious with shredded or chopped rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled steak, or even cooked salmon. Any cooked meat could be added to make it a main dish meal.
What other kind of beans would be good in this salad?
- I really like to use Cranberry Beans in this salad. They are a dry bean available from 21st Century Bean Processing and I usually cook them in my Instant Pot. Cranberry beans are similar in texture to a pinto bean, and have these really cool cranberry-colored markings on them.
- I’ve also used chili beans, black beans, and cannellini beans in this recipe. It’s very versatile – use whatever beans are in your pantry, truly!
More Favorite Salad Recipes to Enjoy –
- PRAIRIE ROSE CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SALAD
- ORZO PASTA SALAD WITH GRILLED STEAK
- HEALTHY MEXICAN SALAD WITH HONEY-LIME CILANTRO DRESSING
- CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD
- BLT PASTA SALAD
- BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALAD WITH JICAMA
Printable Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts Recipe –
Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans (or, if you can find them, use 21st Century Cranberry Beans in this recipe – DIVINE!) if canned beans, drain and rinse well
- 2-3 ribs celery diced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/3 cup feta crumbles may substitute goat cheese crumbles, if desired
- 1-2 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley
Dressing
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Pinto Bean Salad
- In a large serving bowl, gently toss together the beans, celery, red onion, tomatoes and walnuts; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a dressing cruet or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil and vinegar; shake to emulsify the dressing, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle your desired amount of the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients; gently toss to combine. Top the salad with the feta and parsley. Serve at once, or chill and serve at a later time. Salad is best served at room temperature.
- **I typically use half of the dressing when the salad is first dressed and the remainder for the leftover salad later due to the beans continuing to absorb the dressing as it sits.
How to Cook Dry Beans in the Instant Pot
- Place 2 cups of dried beans into a 6-quart Instant Pot; add enough broth to the pot to cover the beans by 1-inch.
- Cover and lock the Instant Pot lid into place; choose the High Pressure Setting for 15 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. When the timer sounds, perform a natural release, allowing the pressure in the Instant Pot to naturally release on its own, which will take anywhere from 10-15 minutes typically.
- Remove the Instant Pot lid and test the beans to be sure they are as tender as preferred. If not, lock the lid back into place, repeating the pressure cooking process for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Once the beans are nicely tender, gently rinse them well, them place the beans into a bowl of ice water to fully stop the cooking process.
Nutrition
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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli
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