Better Homes And Gardens 3 Bean Salad

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This Three Bean Salad recipe makes a ridiculously easy and healthy side salad. You'll love this classic dish that requires no cooking, comes together in 15 minutes, and for under $5.00. It's so colorful and great for potlucks!

Memories of my youth, and going to the salad bar, flash before my eyes as I write about this Three Bean Salad. Except those memories are not fond, because a bean salad was never appealing to me at the age of 16. But now? Love love love!

Three Bean Salad is pretty much a staple at salad bars and summer picnics, with so many different varieties. Because of all the different beans!

Three Bean Salad – Why We Love It!

This salad comes together in minutes.
The ingredients are common pantry staples.
Each serving is healthy and high in protein.
The colors are so pretty!
It's extremely inexpensive.
This salad is so versatile.

Next time you're invited to a potluck, volunteer to bring this!

Three Bean Salad Recipe

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:
(Scroll below for the printable recipe and measurements.)

Beans: canned chickpeas, red kidney beans, and pinto beans. All rinsed and drained.
Red onion and Garlic
Fresh parsley
Lime juice
Red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Seasonings: cumin, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt

Recipe Variations

Most Three Bean salads I see include green beans, which is delicious. I often make this recipe and include them – which would make it a Four Bean salad, I guess! But the beans I crave the most are chickpeas, pinto beans, and kidney beans, so that's what I used here.

You could easily substitute the red kidney beans for cannellini beans or black beans for the pinto.
Instead of red wine vinegar, you could try rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Swap the red onion for shallot.
Toss in some fresh basil or replace the parsley with cilantro.

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Rinse those three canned beans!

Beans are canned in water and salt, releasing starches, and creating an unappetizing slimy liquid. It's not unsafe to eat, but um, it's sort of gross. All you need to do is drain the beans in a strainer and then run cold water over them until all that film is gone, then add them to your mixing bowl.

Now all you need is a can opener. This is definitely a winning recipe and an example that canned goods can be…GREAT.

Other Bean Recipes

Rice and Beans
The Best Texas Caviar
White Bean Dip

More Delicious Salads

Broccoli Salad
Cucumber Tomato Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Pea Salad

I hope you love this delicious recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don't forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest , and YouTube !

Three Bean Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings: 6

15 ounce can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
15 ounce can red kidney beans , rinsed and drained
15 ounce can pinto beans , rinsed and drained
1/2 medium red onion , finely diced
1/2 bunch fresh parsley , chopped
4 cloves garlic , minced
2 medium limes , juiced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a large bowl, add all three types of beans, the onion, and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, cumin, cayenne, and salt. (Taste and if it seems too acidic and bitter, then add a touch of sugar.) Whisk to combine.
Pour dressing over the beans and gently stir to combine.
You can serve this right away, but it's best after marinating in the refrigerator for at least a few hours so the flavors can meld.

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.