Introduction
This three-bean salad is an easy, healthy addition to any of your summer meals. It’s both visually striking and has a wonderful, bright flavor.
It can also be enjoyed cold and room temperature, and maybe even warm, making it great for meal prep.
What Kind of Beans Go Into a Three-bean Salad?
Just about any kind of bean or legume can be added. From black beans, green beans and even lentils – any of them would make this salad great. The beans can be fresh/dried and prepped by you, or simply out of a can.
The pictured salad has a combination of black, kidney, and cannelini beans.
How to Make This Three-bean Salad
This salad is made simply by draining and rinsing canned beans and tomatoes, then covering them in herbs and dressing. The recipe goes into more detail, but it really is that easy.
Keep in mind that the recipe features its own dressing. However, you can use a pre-made dressing for even more simplicity.
Three Tips for Making The Best Salad
You’ll want to rinse your beans very well. The packing liquid usually contains a lot of salt, and the viscosity isn’t something you want in your salad. You’ll also want to dry them thoroughly; excess water can dilute the flavor.
Depending on how well you rinse your beans (and the type of beans you use,) you may need more salt. I used a mix of regular and low-sodium canned beans, and I needed to add a bit more in the end. If you’re using fresh, unseasoned beans, you’ll almost certainly need more than the recipe states.
One of the ingredients in the recipe is cilantro. If you don’t like or don’t want to use cilantro, other fresh herbs would also work. Parsley seems to be a popular option.
Conclusion and Recipe
Below I’ve listed the ingredients, ingredient amounts, and steps for making this three-bean salad. If you like this recipe, consider following me on Wix or Pinterest.
For another great salad, check out my recipe for cheeseburger salad.
Ingredients
3 15-oz cans of beans*, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, 10 grams 15-oz can diced tomatoes**, drained
For the dressing: 3 Tbsps olive oil, 43 grams 2/3 tsp kosher salt, 4 grams 2 tsps apple cider vinegar***, 10 grams dash of ground cayenne, about 1/8 tsp dash of black pepper, about 1/8 tsp 2 tsps honey, 14 grams 2 tsps sugar, 8 grams
Preparation
Add the beans, tomatoes and cilantro to a large bowl and set aside.
Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, then add it to the beans and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
* I recommend using 3 different colors since it looks better, but feel free to use what you have. Pictured is a can of white, black, and red (kidney) beans.
** I find there’s a big difference between store brand and name brand canned tomatoes. For that reason, I recommend using name brand here.
*** If you have it, you can use white vinegar instead.
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