How to Make a Three Bean Salad with Vinaigrette

Chilling three-bean salad allows the ingredients and vinaigrette to mix.

No matter how many salads you have presented or eaten, you can delight yourself and others at your next picnic or summer function with a refreshing and filling three-bean salad. This appetizer or side dish packs in the protein and vegetable servings for a flavorful and light reprise from the heaviness of warm-weather barbecue and snack foods. You can replace complex carbohydrates and fatty meats with the three-bean salad, increasing your fiber intake and lowering your fat and calorie consumption throughout swimsuit season.

Things You'll Need

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can cut green beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• Colander
• Cold water
• Paper towels
• Mixing bowl
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Bowl
• 1/2 lime
• Salt
• Pepper
• Whisk
• Spoon

Instructions

1. Pour one can each of red kidney beans, cut green beans and garbanzo beans in a colander. Rinse the beans with cold water and drain. Pat the beans dry with paper towels and pour them into a mixing bowl.

2. Chop 1/2 cup of red onion, 1/2 cup of celery and 1 cup of flat-leaf parsley into fine pieces. Add the ingredients to the mixing bowl.

3. Create the vinaigrette. Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil, 3 tbsp. of white wine vinegar and 1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard into a bowl. Squeeze 1/2 of a lime over the bowl for added flavor, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Whisk the ingredients with a whisk and pour the vinaigrette into the mixing bowl containing the beans and vegetables. Toss the mixture with a spoon and refrigerate it for about 4 hours. This allows the ingredients to absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette dressing.

Tips & Warnings

• Chop and add other vegetables such as corn, mushrooms, yellow or red bell peppers and tomatoes, if desired. Reduce the amount of red onions and celery or increase the amount of vinaigrette, if adding other vegetables.

References

• Food Network; Three Bean Salad; Paula Deen; 2007
• Epicurious: Three-Bean Salad
• Simply Recipes: Three Bean Salad