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Easy Three Bean Salad Recipe

5 from 146 reviews

This Easy Three Bean Salad is a refreshing and vibrant side dish perfect for picnics, barbecues, and potlucks. Combining green beans, yellow wax beans, and kidney beans with a tangy vinegar dressing balanced by sweetness from sugar and a hint of celery seed, this salad delivers a delicious medley of textures and flavors. It requires minimal preparation and is best served chilled to let the flavors meld.

Ingredients

Scale

Beans

  • 1 (15-ounce) can green beans, drained
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can yellow wax beans, drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Vegetables

  • 1 onion, sliced into thin rings

Dressing

  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • ⅔ cup distilled white vinegar
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

  1. Gather Ingredients: Collect all canned beans, onion, and dressing ingredients to prepare the salad efficiently.
  2. Prepare Beans and Onion: Drain green beans and yellow wax beans. Drain and rinse kidney beans thoroughly to reduce sodium content. Slice the onion thinly into rings for even distribution and texture.
  3. Mix Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the green beans, yellow wax beans, kidney beans, and sliced onion. Add sugar, distilled white vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, ground black pepper, and celery seed. Stir well to evenly coat all ingredients with the dressing.
  4. Chill: Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Chill the salad for at least 12 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the sugar to dissolve into the ingredients, enhancing the overall taste.
  5. Serve: After chilling, stir the salad gently and serve cold as a side dish with your meal.

Notes

  • For fresher texture, rinse canned beans well to reduce sodium and rinsing helps improve flavor.
  • The salad tastes best after chilling at least 12 hours, but it can be kept up to 2 days refrigerated.
  • Feel free to add chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill for added freshness.
  • This salad is a great make-ahead dish for gatherings.
  • Adjust sugar and vinegar to taste if preferred less sweet or more tangy.

Keywords: three bean salad, easy bean salad, canned bean salad, picnic side dish, make ahead salad