Classic 3-Bean Salad

Just what's to love about classic 3-Bean Salad? How about great taste, super easy preparation, and make-ahead convenience? Put those three things together and you've got one perfect side dish to prepare for any occasion. There's just no wrong time to enjoy this marinated goodness!
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This classic 3-Bean Salad has been a staple recipe in our family ever since I can remember, way back to when I was a little kid. One of my Mom's best friends just adored this salad, and I can remember Mom making it whenever their family came to visit. 

Of course, with its fabulous flavor and just how totally easy it is to make, what's not to love? Oh, this classic is always a hit. -- whether it be at family dinners, as an easy side tagging along to those summer cookouts with friends, or as your contribution at the church or office potluck. There's just no wrong time to enjoy this marinated goodness.

3-Bean Salad is one of those recipes that needs time to marinate for its flavors to develop to their fullest. Which means, not only do you get ease of prep and great taste from this classic recipe, you also get make-ahead convenience. This make-ahead convenience makes it a perfect dish to prepare for just about any occasion -- you can get its prep done well in advance, leaving last-minute time available for making other dishes.

Two days is the recommended minimum marinating time, but truly this salad gets better and better with even a little more flavor-melding time than that. 3-Bean Salad can be prepared about 4 or 5 days in advance, no problem at all.  

Cut green beans, yellow wax beans, and kidney beans are the standard combination that make up classic 3-Bean Salad.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Great taste - Its vinegar and sugar-based marinade brings fabulous flavor to this classic bean salad. With flavor infused throughout the beans from days of marinating, it's always a hit!
• Super easy preparation - Made with just 8 simple ingredients and the ease of canned beans, classic 3-Bean Salad comes together in a snap. A small bit of chopping and little whisking of the marinade ingredients is all the prep it takes.
• Make-ahead convenience - 3-Bean Salad needs time to marinate for its flavors to develop to their fullest, which means you can get this salad's prep done well in advance.
• Perfect for any occasion - From potlucks, to family dinners, summer cookouts with friends, and more -- there's no wrong time to enjoy this marinated goodness.

Classic 3-Bean Salad Ingredients:

Classic 3-Bean Salad comes together with a simple salad mixture and a simple marinade, made with a total of just 8 ingredients plus some salt and pepper.

For the salad, you'll need:

• Bean mixture - Canned cut green beans, yellow wax beans, and kidney beans are the standard combination to create the base of 3-Bean Salad. Our family always uses dark red kidney beans, rather than their lighter counterpart, because of the beautiful color contrast they bring to the salad. If you're concerned about using canned beans in this salad due to their potential "tinny" taste or possibility to turn mushy, don't be. The vinegar and sugar-based marinade takes away any trace of that "tinny" taste. The texture of the beans also holds up just fine, even after days of marinating.

• Onion - Adds a nice jolt of flavor to the salad. Chop the onion finely for the best result and to avoid having large pieces to bite into.

• Green Pepper - Adds flavor and a nice textural crunch to the finished salad.

For the marinade, you'll need:

• White vinegar - Serves as the base of the marinade, and brings a "clean" vinegar flavor to the salad. We do not recommend substituting other types of vinegar.

• Granulated sugar - Rounds out and sweetens the marinade, creating fabulous flavor in the finished salad. Sugar substitute such as Splenda can be used instead if you'd like, you may just have to adjust the amount based on the sugar substitute's sweetness.

• Canola oil - "Binds" the marinade together and helps evenly distribute its flavors. Vegetable oil can be used instead, if you'd like.

• Salt & pepper - Seasons and enhances the flavors of the salad.

How to Make Classic 3-Bean Salad:

Classic 3-Bean Salad is super easy to make. To whip up a batch, simply start by draining cans of the classic 3 beans. Then combine them in a large bowl with plenty of chopped onion and chopped green pepper. Be sure to chop the onion and green pepper finely, so it readily distributes throughout the entire salad and you don't get large bites of them in the finished dish.

Then whisk up a very simple marinade of canola oil, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Pour the marinade over the bean mixture, and give everything a good gentle toss to get it well combined. Then pop the salad in the refrigerator and let the marinade do its thing.

Two days is the recommended minimum marinating time, but truly this salad gets better and better with even more flavor-melding time than that.

The flavors meld as the beans marinate and the salad's flavor develops more and more as time goes on.

I recommended a minimum of 2 days marinating time, but truly this salad gets better and better with even more time than that. The salad will taste great after 2 days, and even better with more developed flavor after 3 or 4 days.

So don't be afraid to prep this salad well in advance of when you'd like to serve it.

If you have reservations about using canned beans in this salad, don't.

I know canned beans, especially green and yellow wax beans, can have a bit of a "tinny" taste sometimes. The vinegar and sugar-based marinade in this recipe completely takes away any trace of that "tinny" taste.

Concerned the canned beans will get mushy? -- Again, don't be. The texture of the beans holds up just fine, even after days of marinating. There's no changing of the beans into a mushy mess.

So if you're looking for a super easy, super flavorful classic salad to enjoy, give this 3-Bean Salad recipe a try.

With its great taste, how easy it is to make, and make-ahead convenience, it's a perfect salad to prepare for just about any occasion.

Check out these other tasty salad favorites:

• Marinated 9-Bean Salad
• Marinated Many Bean Salad with Corn
• Marinated Vidalia Onion Salad
• Sweet & Sour Slaw
• Broccoli Salad
• Lemony White Bean Salad
• Marinated Summer Vegetable Salad
• Carolina Caviar
• More salad recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

3 bean salad recipe, marinated beans recipe, salads with no mayonnaise

Salads

American

Yield: about 12-16 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Classic 3-Bean Salad

Just what's to love about classic 3-Bean Salad? How about great taste, super easy preparation, and make-ahead convenience? Put those three things together and you've got one perfect side dish to prepare for any occasion. There's just no wrong time to enjoy this marinated goodness!

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

Bean Mixture:

• 1 (14.5 oz.) can cut green beans
• 1 (14 .5 oz.) can cut yellow wax beans
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can dark red kidney beans
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped

Marinade:

• 3/4 c. white vinegar
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Drain green and yellow beans well. Drain and rinse kidney beans. Place beans in a large bowl.
2. Add finely chopped onion and green pepper to beans. Toss gently to combine, taking care to not break the beans.
3. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well combined and sugar is dissolved.
4. Pour vinegar mixture over beans. Stir gently to combine.
5. Place in refrigerator and marinate beans for at least 2 days to allow flavors to meld, stirring once a day.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. Prep time noted does not include 2 days of marinating in the refrigerator.
2. Two days is the recommended minimum marinating time, but truly this salad gets better and better with even more flavor-melding time than that. This 3-Bean Salad can be prepared about 4 or 5 days in advance, no problem at all.

Similar Recipes

Marinated Many-Bean Salad with Corn

Marinated 9-Bean Salad

Easy White Bean Salad

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