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Overhead view of a bowl of three bean salad
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4.83 from 23 votes

Classic Three Bean Salad

Simple ingredients come together in this Classic Three Bean Salad to make a simple summer side dish, perfect for BBQs and potlucks!
Prep Time15 minutes
Marinate30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Total Cost: $3.84 recipe / $0.77 serving
Servings: 5 servings (1 cup each)
Calories: 301kcal
Author: Beth Moncel

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz. can kidney beans $0.94
  • 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans $0.94
  • 1.5 cups frozen green beans thawed, $0.59*
  • ¼ cup red onion finely diced, $0.12
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, $0.17
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar $0.24
  • ¼ cup olive oil $0.64**
  • 2 Tbsp sugar $0.12***
  • 1 tsp salt $0.03
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.02
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard $0.03
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Rinse and drain the kidney beans and cannellini beans. Place the kidney beans, cannellini beans, and thawed green beans in a bowl.
  • Slice the red onion, then soak the onion in a bowl of ice water for about five minutes before draining and finely dicing. Chop the parsley. Add the onion and parsley to the bowl with the beans.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Dijon.
  • Pour the dressing over the beans, onion, and parsley, then stir to combine.
  • Transfer the bean salad to the refrigerator and let the beans marinate in the dressing for about 30 minutes before serving. Give the salad a good stir just before serving to redistribute the dressing.

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Notes

*If you'd prefer to use fresh green beans, I'd slice and blanch them for 1-2 minutes and then cool them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. I wouldn't use canned green beans as they're much softer and have a muted flavor compared to frozen or fresh.
**Olive oil is my preferred choice for this vinaigrette. It adds richness, helps balance the acidity, and creates a temporary emulsion; I never skip it! Without it, the vinegar and Dijon flavors will be more pronounced, the texture will be lighter, and the flavor will be much sharper. You can try leaving it out if preferred, but it all comes down to your personal preference.
***The dressing is meant to be slightly sweet to mellow the sharpness of the vinegar and mustard, but feel free to adjust it to your taste. If you're sensitive to sweetness, start with a smaller amount of sugar and add more if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 666mg | Fiber: 12g