Like macaroni salad and potato salad, three bean salad takes me right back to my childhood. It was something I ate at potlucks, picnics, and even the occasional school lunch. I remember liking the sweet and tangy dressing, but the mushy canned green beans? Not so much.
I’m going to share a new three-bean salad recipe with you to start off the picnic salad season this year. In many ways, it’s just like the one I ate as a kid. It has hearty garbanzos and dark red kidney beans, and it’s tossed in a tangy (but not at all sweet) dressing. But those canned green beans? You won’t find them here. Instead, I add blanched fresh ones, along with thinly sliced celery and red onion for crunch. It’s exciting and cool, and like any good picnic salad, it tastes better the next day. I think you’re going to love it!.
Three bean salad is a potluck and picnic favorite making frequent appearances at backyard barbecues church functions, and family reunions. This easy pantry salad combines canned beans, vegetables, and a sweet and tangy dressing for a crunchy, flavorful side dish.
But what exactly goes into this classic salad? Let’s take a closer look at the key ingredients that make up traditional three bean salad.
The Beans
As the name implies three bean salad gets its base from a trio of canned bean varieties mixed together. The most common bean trio is
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Green beans – Slender, crisp green pods add texture.
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Kidney beans – Nutty, reddish-brown beans provide color.
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Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) – Mild, nutty-tasting white beans.
However, you’ll also see other beans swapped in or added to expand the mix, including:
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Wax beans – Smooth, waxy yellow-white pods.
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Black beans – Soft, creamy black beans.
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Cannellini beans – Large white kidney beans.
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Pinto beans – Earthy pink speckled beans.
So while called three bean salad, feel free to experiment with different bean varieties! Just make sure to use canned beans for easy mixing.
The Vegetables
For extra crunch and flavor contrast, chopped vegetables are commonly added to three bean salads. Popular mix-ins include:
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Onion – Yellow, white, or red onion gives flavor.
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Bell pepper – Green, red, or yellow peppers add crispness.
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Celery – Sliced celery contributes crunch.
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Carrots – Shredded carrots bring color and texture.
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Corn – Whole kernel corn mixes well with beans.
Pick one or more vegetables to complement the beans. Just cut into small pieces before mixing in.
The Dressing
The dressing is what brings all the ingredients together and gives three bean salad its signature flavor. While recipes vary, most dressings contain:
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Vinegar – Cider, white, or red wine vinegars provide tang.
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Oil – Vegetable or olive oil acts as the base.
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Sugar – White or brown sugar balances out the acidity.
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Seasonings – Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, or garlic powder.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Some recipes also call for briefly heating the dressing before pouring over the bean mixture.
Optional Add-Ins
There are no set rules when it comes to improvising on three bean salad! Try stirring in any of these fun additions:
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Olives – Salty, briny black or green olives.
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Pickle relish – Vinegary relish pops with tangy flavor.
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Bacon – Crispy cooked bacon crumbles.
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Shredded cheese – Sharp cheddar or crumbly feta.
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Fresh herbs – Chopped parsley, basil, cilantro.
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Jalapeño – Minced spicy jalapeño pepper.
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Scallions – Sliced scallions or chives.
Get creative with mix-ins that complement the core ingredients. The salad easily absorbs other flavors.
How to Make Three Bean Salad
Now that you know what goes into this versatile salad, here is an overview of how to make classic three bean salad:
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Drain and rinse 3-4 cans beans.
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Chop 1 cup vegetables like onion, celery or bell pepper.
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Whisk together a tangy sweet dressing.
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Combine beans, vegetables and dressing in a large bowl.
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Toss gently to evenly coat.
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Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving to let flavors meld.
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Adjust seasonings to taste after chilling.
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Garnish with extra herbs or cheese right before serving, if desired.
That’s all it takes to put this tasty salad together! The bean salad holds up well for meal prep and makes terrific leftovers too.
Serving Suggestions
Chilled three bean salad is a great accompaniment to a variety of dishes:
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Barbecues – Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs and more all pair well.
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Picnics – Round out a sandwich spread or salad assortment.
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Potlucks – A nice light dish to balance heavy casseroles.
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Summer meals – Serve alongside grilled fish or chicken.
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Meatless meals – Beans provide vegetarian protein.
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Holiday feasts – Contributes color and crunch to the table.
Take this versatile bean salad to a party or keep it on hand as an easy side throughout the week. It satisfies cravings for something refreshing and healthy.
Storing Leftover Salad
With a tight lid on the container, leftover three bean salad will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days. Over time it may lose some crispness but the flavor remains.
For longer storage, spoon salad into airtight freezer containers or bags, leaving 1-inch headspace. Freeze up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
The pickled veggies and beans hold up well, making this picnic staple perfect for make-ahead meal prep.
Mix Up the Beans
Part of the fun of three bean salad is tailoring the bean mix to your tastes. Try out different combinations:
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Northern beans, chickpeas, green beans.
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Kidney, cannellini, wax beans.
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Black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans.
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Navy beans, great northern beans, lima beans.
There are so many varieties of canned beans to select from. Favorites like black beans, edamame and lentils can all substitutions too.
Feel free to make this classic side your own with inventive bean blends!
Recipe Variations
This basic three bean salad is ripe for customization. Liven it up with any of these tasty additions:
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Italian – Salami, mozzarella, pepperoncini, basil.
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Southwest – Corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin.
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Greek – Feta, red onion, olives, oregano.
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Asian – Edamame, carrots, sesame oil, ginger.
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Tuscan – Cannellini beans, artichoke hearts, lemon zest.
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Tex-Mex – Pinto beans, corn, cilantro, jalapeño.
The bean combination provides the perfect neutral base for global flavors. Create your own signature style.
FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about making three bean salad:
Can I use fresh green beans? Yes, lightly steam fresh green beans until just crisp-tender before mixing in.
Do the beans need to be precooked? No, the canned beans are ready to use right from the can.
How long will it keep? About 1 week refrigerated; 2-3 months frozen.
Can I use dried beans? Yes, but they require overnight soaking and cooking first.
Do I drain and rinse the beans? Definitely drain and rinse to remove excess sodium and starchy liquid.
Can I add pasta? Some recipes call for chopped macaroni or small shells, but this changes the texture.
A Potluck Classic
Now you know the basics of what goes into traditional three bean salad and how to put this potluck pleaser together. With its medley of beans, veggies and tangy dressing, this easy pantry side dish is sure to be a hit wherever it’s served. Adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes and enjoy this picnic staple all season long.
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How to Make Three Bean Salad
This three bean salad recipe is super simple to put together! Here’s how it goes:
First, blanch the green beans. This speedy cooking technique makes the fresh beans more tender and highlights their natural sweetness. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Put the beans into the water that’s boiling and cook for two minutes, or until they’re bright green and crisp. Transfer them to the ice water, then drain and transfer to a kitchen towel to dry.
Next, make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, and salt.
Then, toss the salad together. Add the celery, green beans that have been blanched, onion, kidney beans, chickpeas, and parsley to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat.
Once you toss the salad together, pop it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. You might want to skip this step, but trust me, the salad will taste so much better if you do! The beans soak up the dressing’s flavors as it chills, making the whole thing tastier and more interesting to eat.
After an hour (or up to 3 days), go ahead and dig in!
Three Bean Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy three bean salad recipe:
- Of course there are three beans! I use fresh green beans, kidney beans, and garbanzos, but you could try other kinds of beans if you wanted to. If you don’t have kidney beans or chickpeas, you could use pinto beans or cannellini beans instead. Also, feel free to add fresh wax beans if you have them along with the green ones.
- Apple cider vinegar, honey, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and Dijon mustard will be mixed together in a whisk to make the dressing. In a traditional three bean salad recipe, vinegar and sugar would be almost equal parts. This would make it much sweeter. I like the taste of honey (or maple syrup if you’re vegan) as a natural sweetener, and I cut it way back to give the salad a tangy, pickle-y pop.
- Celery and red onion give it a savory taste, color, and crunch.
- Parsley – It gives the salad a nice fresh finish.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.