Three Bean Salad

This classic Three Bean Salad brings green beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans together in a sweetened oil and vinegar dressing seasoned with fresh parsley and rosemary. Enjoy this tasty side dish with grilled burgers, chicken, ribs, or pork tenderloin.

Prepare this salad up to 3 days in advance and let the flavor of the oil and vinegar dressing marinate the beans. This is a great dish for potlucks, picnics, reunions, and pool parties because it is so incredibly quick and easy to make, full of nutrients and fiber, and it holds up incredibly well.

How to make Three Bean Salad

First, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the green beans cooking for 2-3 minutes. Then plunge the green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain them well and pat them with paper towels to dry.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar and sugar together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Now in a large mixing bowl, combine the green beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, red onions, and celery. Add the vinegar and oil dressing and toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours. Add the fresh parsley and rosemary and toss to coat. For best results, serve the dish shortly after adding the fresh herbs.

Recipe tips for Three Bean Salad

• Do not cook the green beans for more than 3 minutes before plunging them into ice water. You want them to have that bright green color and be tender crisp.
• Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients for the dressing in a mason jar with a tight lid and shake it well to combine.
• Drain the liquid and rinse the canned beans to remove the excess salt.
• Chop the red onion finely.
• There are several types of beans you can substitute, like wax beans, cannellini beans, lima beans, black beans, and pinto beans. 
• Garnish with fresh parsley, rosemary, basil, or mint.
• You can substitute drained canned green beans, but I strongly recommend fresh ones. Canned green beans are too salty, and they have been in a can for too long for good texture. 
• Honey can be subbed for the granulated sugar.
• This salad can be prepared up to 3 days in advance; however, do not add the fresh herbs until you are ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to blanch green beans

Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. Then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your beans. Using a large skimmer spoon or large slotted spoon, quickly move the green beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once fully cooled, drain them well and dry them if used in a recipe with oil.

More salad recipes to try!

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