If you’re looking for a simple and cheap side dish that you can throw together in just 15 minutes, then this old fashioned three bean salad is what you’re looking for! Made with a few pantry ingredients, this salad is so healthy as it’s packed with vitamins and proteins which makes it a great addition to any meal. It’s also vegan friendly, and costs less than $5 to make. I know I said three bean salad, but you can add as many varieties of beans as you like (or can find in your pantry!). I love a good side salad, another simple favorite is this white bean salad, simple green tossed salad, and this classic coleslaw salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients In Three Bean Salad
Beans – ANY three (or more) beans can be used to make this salad! I love using green beans that I buy fresh and then blanch them, if you’re not sure how, I have an easy tutorial to show you how to blanch green beans. Traditionally this recipe uses canned green beans, but I find the flavor and texture of fresh is much better. You can also buy them frozen and thaw them completely before adding to the salad. I also like to add kidney beans for color (and health benefits!), and at least one creamy bean such as navy or cannellini beans. You can also add garbanzo beans if you like.Red Onion and Parsley – to add a crunch and freshness to the salad.Dressing Ingredients – I do a simple olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Three bean salad is typically very sweet and packd with sugar, but I prefer mine with less sugar so I adjusted the amounts to my preference (but feel free to add more!).
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Recipe
Tips For Making The Best Three Bean Salad
Use any fresh herbs. I used parsley for this recipe, but it usually depends on what I have available. Chives or even dill are great options.Blanch the green beans. If you’re using fresh green beans (and that’s what I recommend), make sure that you blanch them. It’s a very easy process that will take just 15 minutes of your time and it’s totally worth it. Alternatively use frozen and thawed or canned green beans.Finely dice the onion. The onion is better diced small for the best texture. Sure, you can just slice it but I personally prefer a finely chopped onion here.Add more vegetables. Feel free to add more fresh veggies to your salad. A good addition is a cucumber or celery.Chill the salad. After you made the salad, cover it with plastic wrap and chill until serving. This salad is best served cold.
Save this 3 bean salad recipe for the next time you need to throw together a simple side salad. Pin it for more people to enjoy too!
© Little Sunny Kitchen
