Bean Side Dishes for Summer

Updated April 24, 2012
Becky Luigart-Stayner

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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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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