Here’s how to make the best three bean salad recipe: a fresh spin on Grandma’s! It’s so easy to throw together for picnics and potlucks.
Here’s a fresh spin on that classic Bean Salad! You know, the kind at picnics and potlucks long into the cicada-buzzing summer? This American classic has been gracing tables for generations, and everyone has their own take on it. Here’s our spin on that bean salad of our youth, with a little more complexity and freshness. But don’t worry: it’s still an easy three bean salad that’s as easy as dump and stir. Is it actually better than Grandma’s? We think so. (Sorry, Grandma: don’t be offended!)
The anatomy of a bean salad
Bean salad is a classic American salad of canned beans marinated in a vinaigrette. It’s a staple at picnics and potlucks because it doesn’t require refrigeration and can sit out in the heat for hours. This type of bean salad originated in the 1950’s, when recipes using canned beans started appearing in cookbooks (per this source). Either way: Alex and I have been enjoying it for our entire lives.
Bean salad recipes vary and most cooks have their own regional spin. The most common ingredients are kidney beans, green beans, and garbanzo beans (it’s often called three bean salad). Other ingredients you’ll often see are pinto beans, wax beans, and onions. It’s almost always marinated in a dressing of vinegar, oil, sugar and salt.
This bean salad recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 15-ounce can kidney beans
- 15-ounce can white beans or pinto beans
- 15-ounce can green beans
- 15-ounce can wax beans (or another 15-ounce can green beans)
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 1/4 medium red onion (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped curly parsley (or Italian parsley)
- ½ cup white vinegar*
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon each dried dill and garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans.
- Thinly slice the onions into slivers . Finely chop the parsley.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white vinegar, olive oil, sugar, dill, garlic, powder, and kosher salt. Add the beans, onions and parsley and stir until coated. You can eat immediately, but for best results refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the salad to marinate. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days.