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Home » Salads » Three Bean Salad

Published: May 17, 2022 Last Modified: May 17, 2022 By Sara 62 Comments

Three Bean Salad

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Three Bean Salad Recipe | Bean Salad | Green Bean Salad | Chickpea Salad #salad #beans #vegetables #vegetarian #glutenfree #dinneratthezoo
Three Bean Salad Recipe | Bean Salad | Green Bean Salad | Chickpea Salad #salad #beans #vegetables #vegetarian #glutenfree #dinneratthezoo
Three Bean Salad Recipe | Bean Salad | Green Bean Salad | Chickpea Salad #salad #beans #vegetables #vegetarian #glutenfree #dinneratthezoo

This three bean salad is a blend of kidney beans, green beans and garbanzo beans, all tossed in a sweet and savory dressing. A classic salad that’s easy to make and is the perfect addition to almost any meal!

I love a good salad, some of my favorites include pesto pasta salad and Mexican coleslaw. This bean salad is so good that I can make a whole meal out of it! Best of all, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare.

A serving bowl of three bean salad topped with parsley.

Growing up, we always had a big jar of three bean salad in the fridge. My mom would buy it at Costco and it made for the perfect easy snack or side dish. My homemade bean salad is a million times better than the store bought version, and it takes just minutes to make!

Salad ingredients

Ingredients including canned and fresh beans, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings.

This salad includes garbanzo beans, kidney beans, thinly sliced red onions and green beans. The beans are coated in a dressing made of olive oil, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and parsley.

How do you make three bean salad?

This salad is a blend of kidney beans, garbanzo beans and green beans. Traditionally, this salad is made with canned green beans, but I use fresh green beans here and it makes a huge difference with the flavor and texture. The beans get tossed with a little red onion and a homemade dressing that takes just 2 minutes to make. Add a sprinkling of parsley and you’re ready to eat!

Process shots showing how to make three bean salad.

Tips for Three Bean Salad

  • This salad is actually best made at least 2 hours before you plan to serve it. You can make your salad up to 3 days before you plan to eat it, and the beans will marinate in the dressing.
  • I typically use parsley in my salad because I always have it on hand, but other great options include green onions or fresh dill.
  • I use a mandoline to get ultra thin shavings of red onion.
  • Serve this salad as a side dish, or add some protein like cooked cubed chicken for a main course offering.
  • While I recommend using fresh green beans for the best flavor and texture, you can also use canned green beans if needed.
A spoon holding up a serving of three bean salad.

Recipe FAQs

Do you need to rinse canned beans?

The kidney beans and garbanzo beans in this recipe are packed in a thick liquid that I always like to rinse off before proceeding with the recipe. Simply place your beans in a colander and rinse them under cold running water for best results.

How do you blanch green beans?

The green beans in this recipe are blanched, which means that they’re lightly cooked in boiling water just until tender. Transfer your cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process; this also helps them retain their bright green color.

What beans go in a bean salad?

The most common beans for a three bean salad include garbanzo beans, kidney beans and green beans. You can include other types of beans to make variations on the classic recipe.

What dressing goes on bean salad?

Most bean salads use a sweet and savory dressing that includes some type of vinegar, olive or vegetable oil, sugar and a variety of seasonings.

Bean Salad variations

While I love this salad as-is, sometimes I mix thing up a bit by including other types of beans! You still want about 5 1/2 – 6 cups of beans total, but you can add in different varieties for a different flavor.

  • Four Beans: Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, wax beans
  • Five Beans: Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, wax beans, cannellini beans
  • Six Beans: Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, wax beans, cannellini beans, lima beans
  • Seven Beans: Kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, wax beans, cannellini beans, lima beans, pinto beans
A bowl of three different types of beans topped with dressing and parsley.

No matter what type of beans you choose, this salad is always a huge hit!

More great salad recipes

  • Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Black Bean and Corn Salad
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Farro Salad
  • Chickpea Salad

Three bean salad video

A serving bowl of three bean salad topped with parsley.
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4.98 from 39 votes

Three Bean Salad

This three bean salad is a blend of kidney beans, green beans and garbanzo beans, all tossed in a sweet and sour dressing. A classic salad that’s easy to make and is the perfect addition to almost any meal!
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 129kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup red onion very thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender. Place the green beans in a bowl of ice water to cool, then drain and pat dry.
  • Place the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, red onion and parsley in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Pour the dressing over the beans and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours or up to three days, then serve.

Notes

  1. This salad is actually best made at least 2 hours before you plan to serve it. You can make your salad up to 3 days before you plan to eat it, and the beans will marinate in the dressing.
  2. I prefer to use fresh green beans, but canned will also work and do not need to be blanched.

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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Filed Under: Eat Your Veggies, Salads

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    Comments

    1. Sylvia Altmann says

      June 13, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      Hi! Can this recipe be frozen? I make meals for my mom (93yrs old & living alone) and would like to include healthy salads with my entrées.
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 14, 2022 at 7:13 am

        I have not tried freezing this recipe so unfortunately I can’t say for sure. I think freezing it could significantly change the texture.

        Reply
    2. Gillian says

      June 3, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Has anyone tried this with balsamic vinegar instead? I don’t have apple cider vinegar. Do you think that flavour would go well?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        June 8, 2022 at 7:04 am

        I think it would be ok but you’d want to cut the sugar a bit since balsamic is naturally sweeter than cider vinegar.

        Reply
    3. Yvette says

      May 29, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      5 stars
      Easy and delish, just subbed black for red kidney beans because that’s what I had on hand. Will be making this a lot . Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Mirlene says

      May 25, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      This salad had all of my favorite beans! I’ll be making this again for our BBQ this weekend.

      Reply
    5. Mahy says

      May 25, 2022 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      I just made it using a different recipe. Yours looks absolutely amazing, too – can’t give it a try over the weekend.

      Reply
    6. Ieva says

      May 25, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      5 stars
      100% agree on using fresh green beans. They just add another texture to the salad! The dressing was spot on, as always! Thanks for another brilliant recipe:)

      Reply
    7. Tavo says

      May 25, 2022 at 1:17 pm

      5 stars
      I love that this recipe is made with lots of vegan protein! My kind of salad. I am surely making it again soon!

      Reply
    8. Carrie Robinson says

      May 25, 2022 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      Such a classic salad and definitely a must-make for those upcoming summer BBQ’s! 🙂

      Reply
    9. Roberta says

      February 6, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      I made this and used fresh (blanched) green beans instead of canned.and added a little fresh garlic…….it’s delicious 😋

      Reply
    10. Ecobb says

      January 13, 2022 at 6:49 pm

      How many servings?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        January 14, 2022 at 1:44 pm

        It is 6 servings.

        Reply
    11. Cheryl says

      December 19, 2021 at 5:26 am

      Can you use frozen green beans?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 20, 2021 at 8:37 am

        Yes just thaw them first!

        Reply
    12. Julie J Cline says

      November 23, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      My family requests this dish every holiday. Absolutely what a three bean salad should taste like. Love it!

      Reply
    13. CYNTHIA AGREEN says

      November 22, 2021 at 7:10 am

      Can I can this salad?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 22, 2021 at 8:46 am

        I’m not sure if this would work as I’m not well versed with canning!

        Reply
    14. DEB LUTZ says

      August 4, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      Very tasty!!! Substituted Cannellini beans and regular vinegar and it turned out fantastic. Such a refreshing summer salad to serve with grilled burgers. Thanks for all your delicious recipes. I can always count on you!

      Reply
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