Bean Side Dishes for Summer

Updated: July 19, 2017
Round out your summer meals with a variety of bean side dishes including chilled bean salads, black beans and rice, succotash, and home-style lima beans.
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White Beans with Sorrel Pesto

Photo: Thomas J. Story
White Beans with Sorrel Pesto Recipe
Fresh sorrel, a hardy, leafy green perennial, gives simple white beans a zap of color and a lemony tang. Farmers' markets often carry it from spring into early fall, depending on where you live.
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Summer Beans with Preserved Lemon, Almonds, and Rosemary

Lisa Romerein
Summer Beans with Preserved Lemon, Almonds, and Rosemary Recipe
Use green, yellow or purple beans, or a combination of all three, and serve at room temperature or chilled for a summery salad.

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Fresh Lima Beans

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fresh Lima Beans Recipe
Update fresh lima beans with the addition of tomatoes and kalamata olives and tossing in a red wine vinaigrette.
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Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Black Beans and Coconut-Lime Rice Recipe
Add a tropical touch to black beans and rice with toasted coconut, mango and jalapeño pepper. This hearty bean and rice recipe can serve as either a side dish for grilled chicken or fish, or as a meatless main dish.

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Three-Bean Salad

Photo: James Baigrie
Three-Bean Salad Recipe
Cannellini beans, kidney beans and chickpeas star in this easy bean salad that’s flavored with a tangy fresh herb and lemon vinaigrette.

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Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

Photo: Levi Brown; Styling: Thom Driver
Baked Black Beans with Chorizo Recipe
Serve this versatile dish warm or at room temperature as a tasty side to accompany tacos or as a dip with chips.
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Zesty Three-Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

Zesty Three-Bean and Roasted Corn Salad Recipe
This southwestern-accented recipe combines canned beans with sweet summer corn and red bell peppers for a colorful side dish.

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Lemon-Basil Bean Bowl

Randy Mayor
Lemon-Basil Bean Bowl Recipe
Lima beans go upscale in this main-dish salad. Paired with green beans, tomatoes, and bacon, and then dressed with a lemon-basil vinaigrette.

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Garlicky Black Beans

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst
Garlicky Black Beans Recipe
Take simple black beans to a new level with a few extra ingredients mixed in.
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Lemony Bean Salad

Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Lemony Bean Salad Recipe
A tangy vinaigrette of lemon juice and Dijon mustard dresses this quick side salad of cannellini beans.

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The New Three-Bean Salad

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Randy Mon
The New Three-Bean Salad Recipe
No canned kidney beans here—this easy three bean salad features green beans, edamame, and chickpeas. The flavors get even better if you make the salad a day ahead.

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White Bean-and-Asparagus Salad

White Bean-and-Asparagus Salad Recipe
Combine steamed asparagus, tomatoes, white beans and seasonings, and serve over a bed of mixed greens for a side dish that’s great for summer entertaining.
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Corn-and-Black-Bean Salad

Sara Gray
Corn-and-Black-Bean Salad Recipe
Add flavor to canned black beans and whole kernel corn by stirring in a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lime juice, and then adding orange bell pepper, cilantro and jalapeño.

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Garbanzos Masala

James Carrier
Garbanzos Masala Recipe
Transform canned garbanzo beans into an Indian specialty with the addition of garam masala, curry powder, ginger, and cilantro. Stir yogurt into the warm bean mixture, then top with additional yogurt and cilantro.

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Balsamic Succotash

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Balsamic Succotash Recipe
Succotash is a Southern side dish made with lima beans and corn and sometimes chopped bell pepper. This version gets extra flavor from a splash of balsamic vinegar.
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Butterbeans and Bacon

Butterbeans and Bacon Recipe
Round out your summer supper with a heaping helping of butterbeans cooked with bacon, onion and tomato and seasoned with a dash of hot sauce.

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Country Lima Beans

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Country Lima Beans Recipe
Cook lima beans the old-fashioned way. Start with dried beans and cook until they’re tender, and add flavor with onion and bacon.
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