Three bean salad is perfect for summer picnics and potlucks.

Three bean salad is one of those quintessential American summer picnic foods. It's comforting, protein-rich, and easy to put together quickly with pantry ingredients.

What Kind of Beans Go Into a Three Bean Salad?

Three bean salad is usually made with canned green beans instead of the cannellini white beans I'm using here. But I've yet to meet a canned green bean I like, so cannellini it is.

In addition to canned cannellini beans, we are using kidney beans and garbanzo beans. You can easily used home-cooked versions of the same (either made on the stove or in a pressure cooker) if you have those on hand. You can also swap out any of them for cooked green beans, wax beans, or black beans. (Also, try this Mexican Three Bean Salad if you'd like something a little different!)

How Do You Dress This Salad?

This 3-bean salad is traditionally dressed with a sweet and sour dressing made with vinegar, oil, and sugar. You can cut back the sugar if you want, but I wouldn't cut it out completely, or the dressing will be too acidic.

Once you make the salad, chill it in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the dressing to soak into the beans, and the flavors to meld. Olive oil is key to the dressing and will coagulate when chilled. So to serve, remove the bean salad from the refrigerator and let it come close to room temperature.

Generally I say cooked beans will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but since this salad is basically "pickled" by the vinegar in the dressing, it may last longer.

Three Bean Salad

Three bean salad is one of those quintessential American summer picnic foods. It's comforting, protein-rich, and easy to put together quickly with pantry ingredients. While traditionally made with canned green beans, this version uses cannellini beans for a heartier texture.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2–4 hours
Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

For the Dressing

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep the Onions: To take the sharp "edge" off the red onion, soak the chopped pieces in a bowl of cold water for 5–10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Drain well before adding to the salad.
Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cannellini beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, celery, drained onion, parsley, and rosemary.
Whisk the Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until the sugar has mostly dissolved.
Toss: Pour the dressing over the bean mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure everything is evenly coated.
Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least several hours (ideally 4 hours or overnight). This allows the vinegar to "pickle" the beans and the flavors to meld.
Serve: Because olive oil can coagulate when cold, remove the salad from the fridge 15–20 minutes before serving to let it come closer to room temperature.

Recipe Tips

Bean Variations: You can easily swap any of the beans for cooked green beans, wax beans, black beans, or home-cooked beans from dry.
Storage: This salad lasts exceptionally well. Because of the vinegar content, it can stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Sugar Balance: Do not omit the sugar entirely; it is necessary to balance the acidity of the cider vinegar. You can, however, reduce it slightly if you prefer a more tart flavor profile.