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Home > Recipes > Side

3 Bean Salad

Written by Chrisy | 06/06/18

Recipes Side 30 minutes or less potluck veggies

Perfect for outdoor summer parties, this semi-sweet and colorful 3 bean salad is super easy to whip up and a great go-to side dish that fits in any meal.

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About 3 Bean Salad

As soon as the warm weather hits I begin to take stock of my go-to side dish options. Because in this house, weekend plans tend to be the spur-of-the-moment, hey-are-you-free, we-just-got-invited type.

And the southerner me in me simply can’t show up empty-handed.

So when I stumbled across this three bean salad, it quickly made “the list” because it hits all the marks for what I look for in a side dish:

  • Easy to make
  • Effortlessly eye-catching
  • Lots of canned ingredients, so easy to plan for
  • Customizable to taste

Plus, it’s totally delicious.

How to make 3 bean salad

What substitutions can you make in three bean salad?

When I was researching this recipe, it quickly became clear that there were multiple ways to prepare it. For example, some had a savory sauce (while the recipe here is sweeter) and some used a lot of fresh produce (while this recipe is 50/50 fresh to canned).

Another thing I noticed was that no matter the combination of ingredients, the bean colors in this salad always seemed to be red, white, and green.

And when it came to the red ingredient, there seemed to be only one suitable choice:

Red kidney beans

However, you do have more choices when it comes to the white and green beans.

Feel free to pick an item from each list below to suit the salad to your tastes:

For the white beans:

  • Cannellini beans (this is what I used)
  • Kidney beans
  • Yellow wax beans (not exactly white, but close enough)
  • Chickpeas

For the green beans:

  • Green beans (fresh, cooked, or canned)
  • Edamame (this is what I used)

Plus, you can get an extra dose of green from adding parsley (like I did) or celery.

Can you make three bean salad in advance?

Yes! In fact, this salad needs to marinate in the refrigerator for at least three to five hours, so it’s an ideal dish to make ahead earlier in the day or even the night before.

From my experience, this salad is best made no more than 24 hours in advance. If you need to store it longer than that, I’d recommend draining any excess dressing before storing it in the fridge. Doing this might limit the flavor of the marinade but it will save the other ingredients from losing any texture.

Is three bean salad served hot or cold?

In most cases (and with this recipe) 3 bean salad is chilled and served cold.

Can you reuse read three bean salad juice?

This is an interesting (and fitting!) question for this recipe, as it makes a lot of dressing and you need to strain any excess from the bean salad before serving.

I’ve personally never used the excess dressing for anything, but I think the only logical answer here would be yes. The dressing is still dressing and there’s no reason to discard it if you think you have a use for it.

If you’re going to store the leftover dressing in the refrigerator, I’d recommend using it within one to two days.

Can you freeze this salad?

Yes, you totally can! When properly stored in a sealed container, this salad should last up to three months in the freezer.

Cold 3 bean salad with edamame, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans

Other salad recipes

Cucumber Salad

    Taco Pasta Salad

      Strawberry Caprese Salad with Balsamic Chicken

        Chicken Salad with Grapes

          More great side dishes

          Homemade Ranch Seasoning

            Dill Dip

              Campfire Potatoes

                Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

                  How do you make three bean salad?

                  This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

                  Step 1 – In a medium bowl, add the red wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a good whisk, mixing until the sugar is dissolved.

                  3 Bean Salad Step 1 - Add red wine vinegar. 3 Bean Salad Step 1 - Add sugar. 3 Bean Salad Step 1 - Add olive oil. 3 Bean Salad Step 1 - Mix well. 3 Bean Salad Step 1 - Whisk until sugar is dissolved.

                  Step 2 – In a large bowl, red kidney beans, add the edamame, cannellini beans, red onion, and parsley.

                  3 Bean Salad Step 2 - Add red kidney beans. 3 Bean Salad Step 2 - Add cannellini beans. 3 Bean Salad Step 2 - Add edamame. 3 Bean Salad Step 2 - Add red onion. 3 Bean Salad Step 2 - Add parsley.

                  Step 3 – Pour the dressing on top.

                  3 Bean Salad Step 3 - Pour dressing on top. 3 Bean Salad Step 3 - Pour dressing on top.

                  Step 4 – Mix it well.

                  3 Bean Salad Step 3 - Mix well. 3 Bean Salad Step 3 - Mix bean salad well.

                  Step 5 – Cover and chill the salad for three to five hours.

                  Step 6 – Drain any excess dressing.

                  Step 7 – Enjoy!

                  Sweet and chilled three bean salad

                  Recipe Details

                  PRINT THIS RECIPE
                  RATING:
                  5 from 2 votes

                  3 Bean Salad

                  Perfect for outdoor summer parties, this semi-sweet and colorful 3 bean salad is super easy to whip up and a great go-to side dish that fits in any meal.

                  Prep: 20 minutes
                  Calories: 473 kcal
                  Yields: 6 servings

                  Ingredients

                  • 1/2 cup red onion chopped
                  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
                  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
                  • 1/2 cup olive oil
                  • 1 pinch salt to taste
                  • 1 pinch black pepper to taste
                  • 15 oz red kidney beans rinsed and drained
                  • 15 oz cannellini beans rinsed and drained
                  • 2 cup shelled edamame
                  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
                  US Customary - Metric

                  Instructions

                  1. Optional: Fill a small bowl with cold water. Add chopped red onion to bowl and let sit for 10-15 minutes, then drain thoroughly. This step will help soften the taste of the red onion, but it can be skipped.
                  2. In a small bowl add red wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, then whisk to combine. Set bowl aside.

                  3. In a large bowl, red kidney beans, add edamame, cannellini beans, and fresh parsley. Do a quick mix to combine.

                  4. Pour prepared dressing on top of bean salad, then toss again to coat in dressing. It's okay if there's excess dressing; this can be drained later.
                  5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-5 hours.

                  6. When ready to serve, drain any excess dressing (you can either discard it or set it aside to be used on the salad as needed) and stir salad a final time.
                  7. Serve bean salad immediately.

                  Nutrition

                  473kcal | Fat: 21g | Saturated fat: 2g | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 559mg | Carbohydrates: 58g | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 26g | Protein: 15g | Vitamin A: 210% | Vitamin C: 8.5% | Calcium: 104% | Iron: 5.2%
                  I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

                  Made this recipe?

                  I'd love to see what you whipped up! Post it on Facebook or Instagram and tag @HomemadeHooplah or use the hashtag #HomemadeHooplah!
                  Recipe shared by Chrisy

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                  Recipes Side 30 minutes or less potluck veggies

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