A salad this simple has no business being so delicious, but it just is. This Classic Three Bean Salad has minimal ingredients, the most basic of basic dressings, and yet I can’t seem to get enough of it. The creamy beans are the perfect contrast to the tangy-sweet dressing, and there’s just enough savory crunch from the red onion to keep the flavors grounded. It’s the perfect summer side dish for all of your BBQs and potlucks, or on those busy weeknights when you don’t want to spend a lot of time fixing dinner.
“I made this recipe yesterday. I followed it to the letter, no alterations and no substitutions. It was FANTASTIC. I will make it again and again. So flavorful and delicious and satisfying. Thank you!”
Isabelle
Easy Three Bean Salad Recipe
My three bean salad has dark kidney beans, cannellini beans, and green beans. You can also try other beans like chickpeas, wax beans, purple hull peas, or black eyed peas. This recipe is really flexible, so you can swap out the beans, and you can even add more than three beans if you’d like. However, I recommend having a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. Make sure to have at least one creamy bean, too!
I also made a basic, slightly sweet vinaigrette with just enough Dijon to give it a little zing. You can easily tweak the sweetness or tang to your liking or even use your favorite bottled dressing (like Italian dressing) for a different flavor. This recipe is SO easy to make your own, so have fun with it!
Classic Three Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans $0.94
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans $0.94
- 1.5 cups frozen green beans thawed, $0.59*
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced, $0.12
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, $0.17
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar $0.24
- ¼ cup olive oil $0.64**
- 2 Tbsp sugar $0.12***
- 1 tsp salt $0.03
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.02
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard $0.03
Instructions
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Rinse and drain the kidney beans and cannellini beans. Place the kidney beans, cannellini beans, and thawed green beans in a bowl.
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Slice the red onion, then soak the onion in a bowl of ice water for about five minutes before draining and finely dicing. Chop the parsley. Add the onion and parsley to the bowl with the beans.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and Dijon.
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Pour the dressing over the beans, onion, and parsley, then stir to combine.
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Transfer the bean salad to the refrigerator and let the beans marinate in the dressing for about 30 minutes before serving. Give the salad a good stir just before serving to redistribute the dressing.
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Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Three Bean Salad Step-by-Step Photos
Prep the beans: Rinse and drain one 15 oz. can of kidney beans and one 15 oz. can of cannellini beans. Add them to a bowl with 1.5 cups of thawed frozen green beans.
Shock the onion: Slice some red onion and soak them for about 5 minutes in a bowl of ice water (this takes the sharp edge off their flavor). Finely dice about ¼ cup of the red onion. Chop about ¼ cup fresh parsley.
Make the dressing: Whisk together ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard.
Combine: Add the onion and parsley to the bowl with the beans, then pour the dressing over top. Stir everything to combine.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate the three bean salad for about 30 minutes to let the beans marinate. Give it a good stir, and then serve!
What to Serve with Three Bean Salad
The sweet-tart flavor of this three bean salad makes it a perfect match for other sweet-savory dishes, especially anything with BBQ sauce. In the photos here, I served it with my BBQ cheddar baked chicken and a big scoop of potato salad, and the combo was incredibly satisfying. It also pairs beautifully with glazed ham steaks (the Dijon dressing goes so well with the sweet glaze), creamy pork chops for a fun contrast, or crispy air fryer drumsticks when you need a quick weeknight meal.
Storage Instructions
Three bean salad is one of those recipes that actually gets better with time in the fridge. As it refrigerates, the beans begin to absorb the flavors in the dressing, and everything gets SUPER tasty. This salad will probably stay good in the fridge for about four days (if you don’t eat it all by then).
More Easy Bean Salad Recipes
Our Classic Three Bean Salad recipe was originally published 6/21/21. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 7/3/25.
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