Are you searching for a healthy dish to serve this summer? Our three bean salad is not only incredibly easy to make, but it's also perfect if you're wanting to lose a few pounds.
If you love salads in the summertime, we think you'll also enjoy our easy broccoli salad and our bacon and pea salad. Be sure to try our kale Christmas wreath salad and our Caesar salad dressing, too!
Ingredients
Our three bean salad takes basic pantry staples that are easy to find. Let's talk about the key ingredients.
- Beans: We used green, garbanzo, and dark and light red kidney beans.
- Aromatics: We used both yellow and red onion and celery that were finely diced.
- Acid: We used white balsamic vinegar, but distilled white or apple cider would also work.
- Oil: We used classic olive oil in the dressing.
- Sweetener: We used white granulated sugar, but you can substitute with any sweetener.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
- To make the dressing, heat up in the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for three minutes.
- Pour the hot dressing over the veggies.
3. Toss well to combine.
4. Put it in a pretty bowl, then cover and place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. This recipe really needs the extra chilling time to marinate and soak up all the delicious flavors. Making this the night before is the best way.
This recipe has been a summer classic for a long time. It's popular because you can make it the night before, it's perfect for outdoor gatherings, and it's quick to prepare.
Recipe FAQs
The classic version contains green, yellow wax, and kidney beans. For this recipe, I changed out the wax beans for garbanzo and used both light and dark kidney beans for extra color. The dressing is typically a combination of sweet and tangy.
It will last between 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Our recipe which is made with chickpeas rather than wax beans contains 5g of protein per ½ cup serving. Plus it's is high in fiber, contains little to no fat, is cholesterol-free and a great plant-based, low-cost source of protein.
A five bean recipe usually has the addition of garbanzo beans, lima beans, or black-eyed peas and green pepper. The yellow onion is swapped for a red onion and more spices are added.
Expert Tips
- Make ahead? Yep, it's a good idea.
- Leftovers? Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- What temperature should I serve this? Cold is best.
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Recipe
Three Bean Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 14.5 ounce can green beans, no salt added
- 16 ounce can reduced sodium garbanzo beans
- 15.5 ounce can dark red kidney beans, no salt added
- 15.5 ounce can light red kidney beans, no salt added
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
For the Dressing
- ½ cup vinegar, white balsamic, distilled white, or apple cider
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Equipment
Instructions
Making the Dressing
- In a small saucepan over high heat, pour in the vinegar, oil, sugar, and spices. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil for three minutes, then remove from the heat.
Making the Salad
- Drain each can of beans, rinse them under cold water, and drain in a colander. Place the beans in a large mixing bowl.
- Dice the onion and celery stalks into small pieces using a sharp knife or a food processor, then add to the bowl.
- Pour the hot dressing over the beans, onions and celery. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Put it in a serving bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to give it time to marinate.
- Before serving, stir and adjust seasonings to taste. For example, I like this with extra vinegar, so I would add some more at this time.
Notes
- It's best to make this the night before you need it.
- This recipe keeps well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- This tastes best when served cold.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The beans are soft, and the celery adds some crunch. The beans are nice and flavorful, and the vinegar dressing is definitely tasty! Yum!
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Alex! Thank you for your kind words!
Beth
This salad is yummy as a side. It's colorful and filled with flavor!
Emma
Thank you, Beth! Bean salads are a colorful way to enjoy beans during the summer.