Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad with Creamy Miso Garlic Dressing

Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad

Some salads are best the second you toss them. This one is not that salad. This marinated cilantro lime bean salad actually gets better as it sits, which is exactly why it earns a permanent spot in my weekly rotation.

Chickpeas and cannellini beans drink up a creamy miso garlic dressing, cracked cucumber keeps every bite snappy, and quick pickled jalapeños bring a tangy little kick.

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It serves 6, needs about 35 minutes from start to finish, and holds up beautifully in the fridge for meal prep.

Why You’ll Love This Marinated Bean Salad

Everything here comes from pantry staples and easy to find produce, so there is no frantic last minute shopping trip involved. You can swap the beans, change the herbs, and dial the heat up or down without wrecking the recipe.

The fiber comes from chickpeas, cannellini beans, and cucumber, and the beans also bring plant protein to the bowl. Best of all, the salad tastes even better after it rests, so it is a smart one to prepare ahead for the week.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is what goes into the bowl, grouped the way I build it. This makes 6 servings.

Nothing here is set in stone. Feel free to make it your own:

• Pickled jalapeños: leave them out completely if you prefer, or blend a 2 inch piece of small zucchini into the dressing to keep that creamy texture.
• Onion: shallots or white onion work too.
• Beans: the cannellini and chickpea mix can become any white bean, butter bean, black beans, or pinto beans.
• Cilantro: parsley, dill, basil, or chives all step in nicely.
• Vinegar: white balsamic or apple cider vinegar replace the white wine vinegar.
• Garlic: fresh cloves are best, cooked until golden so they add depth without overpowering the dressing.
• Miso: yellow or white miso brings umami, and half a bouillon cube works too.
• Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers are ideal, and thinly sliced snap peas are a lovely alternative.
• Lime: fresh lime is worth it here.

How to Make It Step by Step

Prep takes about 30 minutes and the stove work is only 5 minutes, for 35 minutes total. Here is the whole flow.

1. For the quick pickled jalapeños, whisk 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp organic sugar, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a small bowl until everything is fully dissolved. Add the sliced jalapeño and 2 tbsp minced cilantro, toss to coat and submerge, then set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 small thinly sliced red onion, the zest and juice of 1 lime, and a generous pinch of salt. Massage with your hands until the onion starts to soften, then set aside.
3. Halve the English cucumber lengthwise and lay it cut side down. Place the flat of your blade on top and smack the cucumber down its length to crack it, then roughly cut on a bias into 1 inch pieces.
4. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and toss to coat. Let it sit at least 10 minutes to draw out excess water, then squeeze the pieces with your hands and discard the liquid.
5. While the cucumber rests, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add 4 crushed garlic cloves and stir occasionally until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and oil to a blender cup along with the remaining roughly chopped jalapeño, the zest and juice of the second lime, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tsp agave syrup, 1 tsp yellow miso paste, 1/3 cup cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth.
7. To the bowl with the onions, add the drained chickpeas and cannellini beans, the drained cucumber, and the remaining 1/3 cup cilantro. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine.
8. When you are ready to serve, mash 2 avocados with a pinch of salt, spread onto 6 tostadas, top with a generous spoonful of bean salad, and garnish with a few slices of pickled jalapeño.

Expert Tips

Smacking the cucumbers until they crack and then salting them is not theatre. It pulls out the extra water that would otherwise thin out your dressing and leave a puddle at the bottom of the bowl. If you want the onion to lose its sharp bite, soak the slices in a bowl of cold water before you use them.

Salt the cucumber, then walk away for ten minutes. That small pause is what keeps this salad creamy instead of watery.

Not a cilantro person? Use parsley with dill, or basil with chives, and the salad still sings. For homemade tostadas, preheat the oven to 400F, place corn tortillas on a baking tray, spray or brush both sides with oil, and bake for 8 minutes, flipping halfway.

Let them cool on the tray until fully crispy, then lightly salt the tops. Store bought tostadas are a perfectly good shortcut when the week is busy.

Make It Balanced

This salad already brings fiber, plant protein, and healthy fats to the table. Serve it on whole grain tostadas or over a grain base for complex carbohydrates, or spoon it next to leafy greens when you want something lighter. If you would like to see where this recipe started, the original version is at Plant Based RD.

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Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad

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Marinated Cilantro Lime Bean Salad Some salads are best the second you toss them. This one is not that salad.

• Total Time: 35 min
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Quick Pickled Jalapeños
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp organic sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (remove membranes and seeds for less spice)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Bean Salad
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 limes, zest and juice
1 English cucumber
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp agave syrup
1 tsp yellow miso paste
2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt

Serving Suggestions
2 avocados
6 tostadas

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Instructions

1-To a small bowl add the vinegar,: To a small bowl add the vinegar, sugar, and salt then whisk together until everything is fully dissolved. Add the jalapeños and cilantro, then toss to fully coat and submerge. Set aside.
2-In a large mixing bowl add the: In a large mixing bowl add the red onion, the zest and juice of 1 lime and a generous pinch of salt. Use your hands to massage the onions until they start to soften then set aside.
3-Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then lay cut: Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then lay cut side down on a cutting board. Place the flat of your blade on top of the cucumber and use your other hand to smack the cucumber down its length to crack them. Roughly cut them on a bias into 1 inch pieces.
4-Transfer the cucumbers to a bowl and: Transfer the cucumbers to a bowl and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat, then set to the side for at least 10 minutes to draw out excess water. Afterwards, you can squeeze extra water out using your hands then discard the excess liquid.
5-While you wait on the cucumbers, make: While you wait on the cucumbers, make the dressing. Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir occasionally until golden, about 2-3 minutes.
6-To a blender cup, add the garlic: To a blender cup, add the garlic and oil mixture along with the remaining jalapeño, zest and juice of the second lime, white wine vinegar, agave, miso paste, 1/3 cup cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth.
7-To the bowl with onions, add the: To the bowl with onions, add the beans, drained cucumber, and remaining 1/3 cup cilantro then pour the dressing over top and toss to combine.
8-When ready to serve, mash the avocados: When ready to serve, mash the avocados in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Spread onto each tostada, top with a generous spoonful of bean salad, and garnish with a few slices of the pickled jalapeño then enjoy.

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 5 min
• Method: stovetop