Are you a bean salad fan like me? I'm totally in love with Pinto Bean Salad with Feta and Walnuts - I'm crazy for all the textures and flavors this bean salad recipe brings 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.
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 0 minutesminutes
If cooking dry beans, add: 35 minutesminutes
Total Time: 50 minutesminutes
Servings: 4servings
Calories: 473kcal
Ingredients
2cupscooked pinto beans (or, if you can find them, use 21st Century Cranberry Beans in this recipe - DIVINE!) if canned beans, drain and rinse well
2-3ribs celerydiced
1/2red oniondiced
1cupgrape tomatoeshalved lengthwise
1/3cupchopped toasted walnuts
1/3cupfeta crumblesmay substitute goat cheese crumbles, if desired
1-2Tbs.chopped Italian parsley
Dressing
1/4cupred wine vinegar
1/2cupgood-quality olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperto 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.