Old-Fashioned Three-Bean Salad

Why you’ll love it

• Make-ahead friendly: it actually tastes better the next day.
• Budget-friendly and colorful, made with canned beans, fresh green beans and pantry staples.
• No oven, no mayo, so it travels well and holds up on a buffet.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 lb (450 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) pieces
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For the sweet-and-tangy dressing

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil or light olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp celery seed

Step-by-step method

1. Make the dressing. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves (it does not need to boil). Remove from the heat and whisk in the oil, dry mustard, celery seed and pepper. Let it cool while you prepare the beans.

2. Blanch the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the green beans and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and plunge them into the ice water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking, then drain well and pat dry with a towel.

3. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, red onion, bell pepper and celery.

4. Dress and marinate. Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the vegetables. Toss well, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring once or twice so everything marinates evenly.

5. Serve. Stir the salad, taste and add a pinch more salt if needed, then sprinkle with the parsley. Serve cold or at cool room temperature with a slotted spoon so the extra dressing stays in the bowl.

How to know it is done

The salad is ready when the green beans are still crisp but have lost their raw taste, the red onion has softened and turned pinkish and mellow, and the kidney beans and chickpeas taste seasoned all the way through rather than plain. That takes about 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Tips for the best result

• Rinse the canned beans well under cold water: it removes the starchy liquid that clouds the dressing.
• Dry the green beans thoroughly after the ice bath, or the extra water will dilute the dressing.
• If raw onion is too strong for you, soak the slices in cold water 10 minutes and drain before adding them.
• Serve with a slotted spoon; the dressing that collects in the bottom keeps the leftovers juicy.

Variations and substitutions

• Canned green beans: use 2 cans (14.5 oz / 411 g each) cut green beans, drained, and skip the blanching step.
• Four-bean salad: add 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) yellow wax beans or black beans, drained, and increase the dressing by half.
• Less sweet: reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup (50 g), or replace it with 3 tbsp honey.
• Different beans: swap the chickpeas for cannellini beans or the kidney beans for pinto beans.
• Herb version: replace the parsley with 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill and add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes just before serving.

Make ahead

Make the salad up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator; the flavor is at its best on the second day. Add the parsley just before serving so it stays bright green.

Storage and reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days, stirring before serving. No reheating needed: serve cold or let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature. This salad does not freeze well, because the green beans turn soft and watery.