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Three Bean Salad Recipe, made with affordable pantry staples like canned garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and cannellini beans, takes less than 15 minutes to toss together. Dressed in a light, tangy vinaigrette, this easy 3 bean salad is the perfect picnic, potluck, or barbecue side dish.
Reader Review
“Best recipe that I have found and I’ve been searching for a while. Absolutely delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. Thank you!” – Kimberlee
I love all kinds of salads, but this super simple, easy to transport, and make-ahead-friendly three bean salad is probably one of my favorites.
You see, unlike my plan-ahead, think-ahead, do-ahead husband, I tend to procrastinate (or conveniently ignore) cooking-related obligations that aren’t, in some way, related to The Forked Spoon. For a long time, the best I could do (it wasn’t my best) was a bag of pre-made dinner rolls for Thanksgiving or store-bought dip for BBQs and potlucks. While there is nothing wrong with store-bought conveniences, I wanted another option: something just as easy, but a little more homemade.
Thus, my equally convenient and mostly homemade three bean salad recipe.
This easy recipe comes together quickly since most of it is pre-cooked canned beans: garbanzo, cannellini, and kidney. It also includes a little red onion and celery for crunch, plus a zesty homemade vinaigrette made with pantry staples like red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. The whole thing takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make.
It’s also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making it the perfect side dish for holidays, picnics, BBQs, and potlucks.
Table of Contents
3 Bean Salad Ingredients
This easy 3 bean salad is made with canned beans, a few fresh ingredients, and a tangy homemade vinaigrette. Here’s exactly what you’ll need:
- Canned beans: I used garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and kidney beans. Drain and rinse them well before adding them to the salad.
- Red onion: Adds color and a little sharpness. For a milder flavor, soak the diced onion in cool water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain well.
- Celery: Adds fresh crunch and helps balance the soft, creamy beans.
- Fresh parsley: Brightens the salad and adds fresh flavor.
- Red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar: This combination makes the dressing tangy, balanced, and flavorful.
- Sugar: Adds a little sweetness to balance the acidity of the vinegar. Add more or less to taste.
- Olive oil: Helps bring the vinaigrette together and lightly coats the beans.
- Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper: Simple pantry seasonings that add flavor without overpowering the beans.
How to Make Three Bean Salad
This three bean salad comes together in just a few easy steps.
- Combine the salad ingredients: Add the drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and kidney beans to a large bowl with the red onion, celery, and parsley.
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar.
- Toss: Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, if time allows, so the beans can soak up the dressing.
That’s it!
Should You Rinse Canned Beans?
Yes. I recommend draining and rinsing canned beans before adding them to this three bean salad recipe. Canned beans are packed in a salty, starchy liquid that can make the salad cloudy, overly salty, and a little gummy.
Simply add the beans to a fine-mesh strainer, rinse them under cool running water, and let them drain well before mixing them with the vegetables and vinaigrette.
Ingredient Swaps and Variations
- Add corn: Stir in one drained can of corn for extra color and a little sweetness.
- Add more crunch: Mix in finely chopped carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, or extra celery. One reader even added a jar of giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetable relish)!
- Add fresh herbs: Fresh dill, basil, cilantro, chives, or extra parsley all work well.
- Use different beans: Swap one of the beans for green beans, wax beans, black beans, pinto beans, or great northern beans. To learn more, check out my post, 15 Types of Beans – And How to Use Them.
- Change the vinegar: Use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or all apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have.
- Adjust the sweetness: Add more or less sugar to taste. You can also try honey, maple syrup, monk fruit sweetener, or your favorite sugar alternative, although I haven’t tested all of these options myself.
- Make it a meal: Add canned tuna, grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or feta cheese for a heartier main dish salad.
- Mexican-inspired: Add corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, and a lime-based dressing. For a heartier version with bold, fresh flavor, try my delicious Mexican-inspired bean salad recipe.
How to Serve
You can serve this 3 bean salad chilled or at room temperature. And since it does not contain mayonnaise, it holds up well for potlucks, picnics, and BBQs. That said, I still recommend refrigerating it when possible and avoiding leaving it outdoors in the heat for more than 2 hours.
I often serve it with baked chicken breasts and an easy fruit salad for a quick, healthy meal that makes even better leftovers. It also pairs well with just about any protein, including garlic butter steak bites, baked salmon, grilled chicken, baked pork chops, or lamb chops. The tangy vinaigrette adds a bright, fresh contrast without overpowering the rest of the meal.
You can also spoon it over greens, serve it with rice or quinoa, or add tuna, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, or feta cheese and enjoy it as a main dish salad.
Are Bean Salads Healthy?
Beans are a great source of fiber (between 9-13 grams per cup), plant-based protein, complex carbohydrates, iron, B vitamins, and other important nutrients. The fiber in beans can also help support digestion, heart health, and promote balanced blood sugar. All great things, right?
As for the dressing, just keep the olive oil and sugar in moderation, and you’re good to go.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
To Make Ahead: This three bean salad is a great make-ahead side dish because the beans get even more flavorful as they soak up the vinaigrette. For best results, make it at least 1 hour before serving (or up to 24 hours in advance).
To Store: To maximize freshness, I recommend storing leftovers in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. Sometimes, I’ll add a little sprinkle of fresh parsley, salt, pepper, or vinegar to freshen it up, if needed.
More Picnic Salad Recipes
If you try making this 3 bean salad recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛 And if you love easy make-ahead bean salads, be sure to try my black bean and corn salad recipe next.
Easy Three Bean Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ medium red onion, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
For the Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans. Add the garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and kidney beans to a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse well with cool water, then let them drain thoroughly.
- Combine the salad ingredients. Transfer the drained beans to a large mixing bowl. Add the diced red onion, chopped celery, and chopped fresh parsley. Gently toss to combine.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Dress the salad. Pour the vinaigrette over the bean mixture and gently toss until the beans and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, if time allows. Stir before serving and season with additional salt, black pepper, or sugar to taste.
Notes
- Drain and rinse the beans well: This removes the salty, starchy liquid from the can and keeps the salad tasting fresh.
- Let it chill: The salad tastes even better after the beans have had time to absorb the vinaigrette. One hour is great, but overnight is even better.
- Adjust the sweetness: Classic three bean salad has a sweet-tangy dressing. Add more or less sugar to taste.
- Soften the onion: For a milder onion flavor, soak the diced red onion in cool water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain before adding it to the salad.
- Try different beans: Swap one of the beans for green beans, wax beans, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, or great northern beans.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Stir before serving and freshen with extra parsley, salt, pepper, or vinegar, if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this last night and it came out great! I added chopped cucumbers and a little extra seasoning and we loved it!!
I’ll be making it again for sure.
Best recipe that I have found and I’ve been searching for a while. Absolutely delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day. Thank you!
Nice mix of vinaigrette. I didn’t have the celery or onion so I added a jar of giardiniera. Ate it for lunch, delicious.
Thanks for the delicious feedback Susan 🙂