The secret to these 4 bean salad recipes? A microwave.

Heating beans for just a few minutes before tossing them with dressing allows them to absorb flavor.

Chicken and Bean Salad With Pepper Jelly VinaigretteConnie Miller/of CB Creatives

To punch up the flavor of bean salads, we turn to a tool that many cooks might think would destroy their beans: the microwave. Heating beans for just a few minutes before tossing them with dressing allows them to absorb flavor rather than simply be coated with it. We use the trick with a Greek bean salad with avocado, red onion, and vinegar. Black beans and bell peppers soak up a Caribbean-inspired coconut-lime dressing. Turkish white beans come tossed with olives, cherry tomatoes, and chilies and a red wine vinaigrette. And pepper jelly enlivens a chicken and bean salad that we streamline by shredding a store-bought bird.

Chicken and Bean Salad With Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

Makes 4 servings

This substantial, flavor-packed chicken salad can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. An average-size, store-bought rotisserie bird will yield enough shredded chicken for this recipe. To be efficient, shred the meat while the beans are soaking in the dressing.

The salad is especially good on top of leafy greens or served with a hunk of corn bread.

1 15½-ounce can black-eyed peas or kidney beans or black beans, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/3 cup red pepper jelly

2 tablespoons white vinegar or hot sauce

2 tablespoons neutral oil

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced or ½ red onion, thinly sliced

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through. To the hot beans, add the jelly, vinegar, oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; toss to combine. Cool to room temperature, stirring once or twice. Add the chicken and scallions; toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Greek Bean Salad (Fasolia Piaz)Connie Miller/of CB Creatives

Greek Bean Salad (Fasolia Piaz)

Makes 6 servings

This bean salad is inspired by one we tasted in Greece. White beans, crunchy red onion, lush avocado, and a tangle of herbs — all dressed with just lemon juice and oil — added up to complex flavor that was much more than the sum of the simple parts. We swap the large, flat butter beans typically used by Greek cooks for easier-to-find cannellini, and we opt for the convenience of canned. We boost their flavor by heating them before adding the dressing. This can be done a day in advance and the beans refrigerated until ready to serve. If you like, bring the beans to room temperature before tossing with the avocado, herbs, and lemon, but even cold the salad is delicious.

Don’t let the beans cool before adding the oil, vinegar, and aromatics. Dressing them while hot ensures they are fully infused with flavor. To keep the flavors and colors fresh and bright, add the avocado and herbs when you’re ready to serve.

4 15½-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large

½ cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring once halfway through.

To the hot beans, add the garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Stir the beans once again, then stir in the avocado, parsley, dill, and lemon zest and juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional oil.

Black Bean-Bell Pepper Salad With Coconut and LimeConnie Miller/of CB Creatives

Black Bean-Bell Pepper Salad With Coconut and Lime

Makes 4 servings

This Caribbean-inspired black bean salad has a spicy-sweet brightness to match its festive appearance. Heating the beans so they’re piping hot when dressed helps them absorb seasonings as they cool so each forkful is flavorful. If you happen to have fresh mango or pineapple on hand, dice some and toss it into the salad just before serving.

This is a perfect side to grilled seafood, pork, or chicken.

2 15½-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lime zest, plus ¼ cup lime juice

½ medium red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

1 medium orange bell pepper or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

½ cup unsweetened wide-flake coconut

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

To the hot beans, add the oil and lime zest and juice; toss to combine. While the beans are still warm, stir in the onion, jalapeño, bell pepper, and coconut. Cool to room temperature, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Turkish White Bean Salad (Fasülye Piyazi)Connie Miller/of CB Creatives

Turkish White Bean Salad (Fasülye Piyazi)

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Fasülye piyazi, a simple white bean salad with tomatoes, herbs, olives, and eggs, is a classic in Turkey. To infuse the beans with flavor, we toss them with salt and optional dried mint, then heat them in the microwave before combining them while hot with onion, vinegar, and pepper. As the beans cool, they absorb the seasonings.

Chopped hard-cooked eggs often accompany this salad, so feel free to add some as a garnish. And, if you have Aleppo pepper in your pantry, a sprinkling will lend mild, smoky heat to the finished salad.

2 15½-ounce cans great northern beans or navy beans, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon dried mint (optional)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ cup pitted green or black olives or a combination, roughly chopped

1 or 2 Fresno or serrano chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rings

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or ground sumac

Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Chopped hard-cooked eggs or Aleppo pepper or torn fresh mint or a combination, optional, for garnish

In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with the dried mint (if using) and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring once halfway through. Add the onion, vinegar, and ¾ teaspoon pepper to the hot beans, then toss and let stand for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Stir in the tomatoes, olives, chilies, and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve drizzled with oil and garnished with eggs, Aleppo pepper, and mint, if using.