Is baked beans salad, really a salad? Maybe or maybe not. I have not seen it outside Zimbabwe so it is probably a Zimbabwean thing.
Growing up we only knew baked beans in a can and it was not something that was a regular on the shopping list. My mother would buy them if she had extra money that month. In many ways, it was and probably still is a luxury item for many people. So baked beans salad was a treat and a substitute for coleslaw salad. Coleslaw salad is by far the most popular salad in Zimbabwe.
I do not remember where or when I first had baked beans salad. It is not really something my mother would make. Mama makes really simple meals and traditional Zimbabwean food is her favourite.It has been at least ten years since I made it or eaten it, but I thought about it when I was thinking of what people would most likely eat on Christmas day.
While the salad status is debatable, baked beans salad has one redeeming feature: it is easy. You don’t need to know how to cook and depending on who you are feeding you can easily impress. I used canned baked beans but you can always make them using this recipe.
