It’s hard to believe that a simple salad could be so tasty, but it is. The Classic Three Bean Salad has minimal ingredients and the most basic dressings. Yet, I cannot get enough. The creamy beans provide the perfect contrast with the tangy, sweet sauce. And the red onions add a little crunch to ground the flavors. This is the perfect side dish to serve at all your summer BBQs and potlucks or for those busy weeknights when you don’t have time to cook.
What beans go in THREE BEAN SALAD
My three-bean salad includes green beans, cannellini, and dark kidney beans. Try other beans such as chickpeas or purple hull peas.
The three-bean salad can be made in many different ways. You can add or remove beans and even more beans if desired. When choosing beans, the most important thing is to select a variety of shapes, colors, and textures. Be sure to include at least one cream bean.
What is the dress code?
This classic three-bean salad has a very simple, sweet vinaigrette with just a touch of Dijon. You can use a bottled Italian salad dressing if you do not want to make it yourself.
What to serve with Three Bean Salad
This three-bean salad pairs perfectly with BBQ sauce, which has a sweet-salty flavor. This week, I served it along with my Baked BBQ Chicken. This would be a delicious side dish to things like Baked Chicken Drumsticks or BBQ Tofu Sliders.
How long does it last?
The taste of this three-bean salad gets even better as it sits in the refrigerator. The beans absorb the flavors of the dressing as it cools. This salad should stay fresh in the fridge for four days if you have not eaten it all.
Ingredients
1 15oz. Can kidney beans (0.5$)
1 15oz. Cannellini Beans ($0.55)
1.5 cups frozen green beans (thawed) ($0.44)
14 cups chopped parsley (0.17)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion ($0.05).
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar ($0.24)
14 cup Olive Oil ($0.64)
2 Tbsp sugar ($0.12)
1 tsp. salt ($0.03)
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
1 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
Instructions
Rinse the cannellini and kidney beans. Combine the cannellini, kidney, and thawed beans in a large bowl.
Slice the red onions, then soak them in ice-cold water for five minutes. Drain and dice finely. Chop up the parsley. Add the parsley and onion to the beans in the bowl.
Combine the Dijon, vinegar, sugar, and olive oil in a separate mixing bowl.
Pour the dressing on top of the beans, onions, and parsley. Stir to combine.
The beans should marinate for 30 minutes in the dressing before serving. Give the salad a good shake before serving to redistribute any dressing.
