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Here’s how to make our favorite three bean salad recipe: a fresh spin on Grandma’s! It’s so easy to throw together for picnics and potlucks. This is one of our top summer salads because it’s so easy to make, protein-packed, and fits many diets (vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free).
Why we love this recipe
Here’s our favorite spin on that classic bean salad—you know, the kind at picnics and potlucks long into the cicada-buzzing summer? It seems like everyone has their own way to make this American classic.
Here’s our spin on the bean salad Alex and I grew up with, 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!)
Featured reader comments
“This is the best three bean salad I’ve ever eaten! Something about it is just so much more refreshing than other recipes I’ve had. It is so scrumptious and I will be making it often!” -Bonnie
Ingredients in this three bean salad
Our spin on three bean salad is just as easy to make as the 1950’s style classic. The main steps are “dump and stir”: literally open the bean cans and stir everything together! At the same time, we wanted to liven up the classic by cutting back on the sugar and adding some freshness. Here’s what you’ll need for this three bean salad:
- Kidney beans and pinto beans: We like pinto beans in a bean salad, since the common chickpeas can have a tough texture and don’t soak up the marinade as quickly.
- Canned green beans and wax beans: Adding yellow wax beans to this bean salad makes a nice color contrast! They can be harder to find at the grocery, so you can also use only canned green beans.
- White onion and red onion: White onion is standard and has the most classic flavor. Red onion adds brightness with the lovely purple color.
- Curly parsley: The green confetti adds a fresh flavor and visual flair. Use curly parsley if you have it, but Italian also works.
- White vinegar and olive oil: Bean salad works well with white vinegar, just like a classic cucumber salad. It adds just the right astringent punch, balanced by the salt and sugar.
- Dried dill and garlic powder: These seasonings heighten the savory and fresh flavors in this dish.
The back story on 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).
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.
Serve right away or marinate
You can eat your bean salad recipe right away and it tastes great. Or, pop it in the refrigerator to let it marinate for at least 1 hour, and it’s even better. The refrigeration time really lets the flavors soak in.
The end result? This recipe has half the sugar as the standard, but it’s just as delicious! It’s got all the classic elements so you feel like you’re eating Grandma’s. We’ll be eating this for years to come.
Tip for slicing the onions
One area where home cooks can be tripped up: how to cut the onions into slivers! The cut that looks best in this bean salad recipe is different from the standard half-moon shape.
Some people call it French cut: it’s a way of making the onion slivers look attractive instead of long and floppy. Cut slices from the tip to the root—instead of through the middle. It’s easiest to explain by showing you: watch minute 1:40 of this How to Cut an Onion video!
Storing leftovers and make ahead tips
You can store this homemade bean salad recipe refrigerated for 3 to 5 days. Like a pickle, the flavor gets better over time! It’s great for lunches throughout the week. Beans eventually spoil even when refrigerated, so we recommend not eating after 5 days.
More bean salad recipes
We’re huge fans of this easy salad and it works for picnics, potlucks, summer grilled meals, and as a side any time of the year. It’s a protein-packed vegan side dish, so it helps to make any vegetarian or plant-based meal more filling. Here are a few other bean and legume-based salads you might enjoy:
- Try Easy White Bean Salad
- Opt for Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Go for Edamame Salad or Black Eyed Pea Salad
- Grab Simple Chickpea Salad
Dietary notes
This bean salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
A classic bean salad typically uses a combination of canned beans, such as kidney beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and green beans. Some variations may also include wax beans or black beans.
You can use dried beans, but they will need to be cooked beforehand according to package directions. This will require additional preparation time compared to using canned beans. You also may need to adjust the salt quantities.
Keep in mind, one 15-ounce can is equal to 1 ½ cups cooked beans.
The dressing for a classic bean salad is usually a vinaigrette made with oil, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings. Common variations include adding Dijon mustard, herbs like parsley or dill, and spices like garlic powder or onion powder.
Classic Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Here’s how to make our favorite three bean salad recipe: a fresh spin on Grandma’s! It’s so easy to throw together for picnics and potlucks. This is one of our top summer salads because it’s so easy to make, protein-packed, and fits many diets (vegan, vegetarian, 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 (go to minute 1:40 of this How to Cut an Onion video to see how!). 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.
Notes
*Use standard white vinegar, not white wine vinegar!
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Salad
- Diet: Vegan
“Dill and garlic powder: These spices are our addition: they heighten the savory and fresh flavors!”
These are SEASONINGS, but neither are SPICES.
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