Beet and Bean Salads

Marilyn's Quick Bean Salad

Mom says that bean salad just isn't as good without the beets and a little diced dill pickle. She is right.

Since Lauren doesn't like sour cream, she now mixes up the beans and beets with some oil and vinegar dressing instead. Make the hard-boiled eggs ahead of time and keep them cold in the fridge. Use only chickpeas for a pretty pink salad.

• 2 (19 oz.) cans mixed bean medley, or pinto beans, or chick peas, drained
• 1 (14 oz.) can rosebud beets, drained and diced (or fresh beets, peeled, cooked, diced)
• 4 large cold hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 1 small dill pickle, chopped fine
• 2 generous Tbsp. sour cream OR oil + vinegar dressing

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate until serving time. The beets will make the egg whites turn pink, which is pretty.

Marilyn's Bean Salad with Onion

My mom made this salad for summer buffets as well as Christmas Eve dinner. Don't leave out the pickles.

• 2 tins (19 oz) pinto beans or chick peas or mixed bean medley, rinsed and drained
• 1 tin (14 oz) whole rosebud beets, drained and diced
• 4 large, diced cold hard-boiled eggs
• 2 small dill pickles, sliced and diced
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Put 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add chopped onion, sauté a few minutes until onion turns translucent. Remove from heat and let cool in the oil. 
2. Put the beans in a bowl with the cooled oil and onions, mix in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Salt to taste.
4. Refrigerate till serving time.

Pink Salad

Cool summer dinner for 4.

The late hockey player Mike Bossy once owned a Montreal steakhouse, where this pink salad was on the menu. Food writer Lesley Chesterman wrote that the salad was tossed over a bowl of ice to keep it fresh and crunchy. She replicated it for the Spring/Summer 2026 (Canadian Edition) of Elle Gourmet.  Basically it's a lot like my mom's, but spicier, and uses mayonnaise instead of sour cream and has small pieces of lettuce added. Lesley Chesterman adds radicchio to the mix and suddenly it's quite different from my mom's, though still pink.

Serves 4

Dressing:

• 1 small onion
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp ketchup or chili sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce or sriracha
• 2 tsp bottled horseradish
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch paprika

1. Grate onion into small bowl.
2. Whisk in remaining ingredients.
3. For a more pourable consistency, whisk in 1 Tbsp hot water.
4. Refrigerate until needed or up to 1 week.

Salad:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped OR 1 cup cooked chicken pieces
• 4 large cooked beets (600 g) diced
• 1 romaine heart or 2 heads little gem lettuce, washed & drained
• 1/2 small head radicchio (optional), washed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped dill OR parsley

1. Place salad bowl in freezer or fridge to chill at least 15 minutes before tossing salad, or place over a large bowl of ice.
2. Slice lettuce into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
3. If using, rip radicchio into large pieces.
4. Toss lettuce, radicchio, chickpeas, onion, dill or parsley, beets and eggs or chicken together.
5. Pour on dressing and toss again until salad is well coated and turns pink throughout.
6. Serve immediately, sprinkling extra dill or parsley sprigs overtop if desired.
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Method

White Bean Salad with Celery

Make the salad up to 24 hours in advance but if don't add the optional walnuts or cranberries until serving time,

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil OR 1/4 cup olive oil + 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 cans (19 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1. Whisk together lemon juice, honey and salt. Drizzle in oil, whisking until emulsified.
2. Combine celery and red onions with vinaigrette, then gently stir in beans.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
4. Toast walnuts by stirring in nuts in a hot skillet (without oil) for a few minutes, remove and let cool.
5. Plump dried cranberries by covering with very hot water, let soak 10 minutes, drain, let cool.
6. Stir cooled walnuts and cranberries into the bean salad just before serving.

White Bean Salad with Arugula

Add some tuna or grilled chicken to make this into a meal.

Bean salad can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead, but add arugula and tuna or chicken if desired,  just before serving.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1 can (540 mL) white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 cup arugula

In a medium bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar and salt.

Add beans, tomatoes and arugula. Lightly toss.

Sausage and Bean Salad with Red Onion

• 1 (19 oz or 540 mL) can red kidney beans
• 1 (19 oz or 540 mL) can white kidney beans
• 1 lb (500 g) cooked sausage (cured or smoked)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or green onions
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
• 8 cups washed and dried greens (or 1 head endive or arugula)
• 1 sweet red onion, thinly sliced
• cooked sausage

1. Drain beans, rinse with cold water, drain well again.
2. Slice sausage (any cooked sausage from kielbassa to leftover Italian sausages).
3. Combine sausage slices with beans.
4. Whisk together dressing: vinegar, mustard, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, herbs.
5. Combine dressing with sausage and beans.
6. Marinate at least 15 minutes, to overnight.
7. To serve, arrange lettuce on plates and spoon sausage mixture on top.
8. Garnish with thin slices of red onion.
9. Serves 4.