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Why I Think You’ll Love My Recipe
This three bean salad has been a family favorite for many years! We change out the beans for other favorites for those who are picky and we enjoy it all the same every time!
Zesty and tangy and filled with kidney beans, yellow and green beans just like you remember, this Classic Three Bean Salad is a family favorite for big dinners!
Reader Review
My mother used to make this 3 Bean Salad often when I was a little girl. It was always a family favorite. It still is!
– Jan
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make, just mix together a quick dressing and crack open some cans!
- Total Time: You can put his salad together in just 10 minutes, but make sure you have the time to let it sit overnight!
- Variations: You can use any combination of beans you prefer for this salad! Just make sure that you have a total of 42 oz of drained beans so you don’t have too much (or too little) dressing!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a 4-cup measuring cup, a spatula, and a large mixing bowl or lidded container to make this recipe!
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Beans: This recipe uses the classic canned yellow beans, green beans, and kidney beans, but you could easily substitute your favorite cooked canned beans, such as white beans, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), black-eyed peas, romano beans, or baby lima beans! Just make sure you end up with the same volume of beans as in the recipe below.
Vegetable Oil: There’s no need to break the bank reaching for an expensive bottle of extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Let the flavors of your beans shine by using a neutral oil, like canola, sunflower, safflower, or grapeseed oil for a light taste that will let the beans really shine!
Celery Seed: The earthy, fresh flavor and aroma of celery seed plays great with beans and adds a little extra complexity to the otherwise simple dressing.
Onion: The classic recipe uses white or yellow onions, but if I happen to have them on hand, I prefer to use scallions or shallots, which tend to be milder in flavor. Make your choice based on your preference!
How To Make Classic Three Bean Salad
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large 4-cup capacity measuring glass and whisk until combined.
- Place the drained beans and chopped onions into a large bowl or lidded container. Pour the dressing over the beans and stir gently to coat.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours before serving for the best flavor and serve cold.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Classic Three Bean Salad
- Let It Marinate: Three-bean salad is best if left in the fridge overnight as it needs to marinate and soak in the vinegar and sugar. You can toss it a few times to coat the beans more evenly while it marinates for the best flavor.
- Prep Ahead: This salad tastes the best when it’s made in advanced so the dressing can really soak into the beans! Since the ingredients are pantry staples and don’t require more effort than it takes to open up a couple of cans, you can put it together in minutes and put everything together the day before your get-together!
Storage Instructions
Since canned beans are very tender, I wouldn’t recommend freezing any leftovers, as the beans probably won’t survive the thawing process. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days!
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Crunchy, salty, and creamy, my recipe for Classic Bacon Broccoli Salad is a perfect option for potlucks!
- Looking for a salad that eats more like a meal? Give my Copycat Earl’s Santa Fe Salad a try!
- My Simple Mexican Coleslaw is a beautifully tangy, mayo-free option for topping tacos or pulled pork sandwiches or as a bright and flavorful side to a hearty main!
- Looking for another down home, nostalgic classic? Why not give my Retro Tuna Macaroni Salad a try!
When I know I have a big dinner party or family get-together to prepare for, I love recipes like this one! It feels great to be able to take a couple minutes to mix together a few simple ingredients and know that the end result will be a delicious and simple dish I don’t have to babysit!
Give this three bean salad a try and let me know your favorite beans to include in the comments below!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Three Bean Salad
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- one 14 ounce can green beans, sliced & drained
- one 14 ounce can yellow wax beans, sliced & drained
- one 14 ounce can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- ⅓ cup onion, diced, see notes
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large 4-cup capacity measuring glass. Whisk until combined.
- In a large bowl, or lidded container, place the beans and onions. Pour the dressing over the beans and stir gently to coat.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours before serving for the best taste.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- I like using one scallion instead of the onion in this recipe, however the original recipe is simply diced white or yellow onion
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jeanne Lachance says
Ca you use fresh vegetables instead of canned.
Jocelyn Cline says
I’ve been making this ‘classic’ recipe once a week all summer. It’s a quick and tasty way to add vegetables and fibre to my day.
Jan says
My mother used to make this 3 Bean Salad often when I was a little girl. It was always a family favorite. It still is!
Brenda Boyle says
Very good bean salad.
Beverly says
Wow. For me this was a throwback recipe. We are in the midst of a heat wave in New England.. This was a cool and refreshing side dish on a warm Summer night. So simple to put together. I do agree with waiting at least 12 hrs before serving.
Heidi says
Definitely best to make this a day ahead (and stir every couple of hours) so that the beans pull in the dressing, it’s so good and always a big hit at family pot lucks! I also add 1/2 green pepper, diced, 1/2 red pepper, diced, a stalk of celery, also diced, as well as 1/3 to 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.
Karlynn says
Yes, we are in a heat wave too and this is the perfect salad!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jackie says
Love it! So easy to put together.Hug from Ontario..miss Alberta
Norma Cook says
This is my husband’s favorite salad. Like you, I include chopped bell pepper and celery with my bean salad. Sometimes, I’ll even add a small can of kernel corn for a bit of color and variety.
Norma Cook says
Oops–I intended this to be a reply to Heidi’s comment about adding pepper and celery, but I guess it comes up as a stand-alone comment.
Heidi says
Definitely best to make this a day ahead (and stir every couple of hours) so that the beans pull in the dressing, it’s so good and always a big hit at family pot lucks! I also add 1/2 green pepper, diced, 1/2 red pepper, diced, a stalk of celery, also diced, as well as 1/3 to 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.
Edward Benton says
I’m a diabetic how much less sugar can your recipe have?
Heidi says
I’ve had to make this sugar free for the diabetics in our family, so I just use Splenda in place of the sugar.