The Best Bean Salad Recipe!

by | May 20, 2024 | Salads, Sides

the best bean salad recipe

When you go to a cookout, there are usually a lot of creamy salads to choose from; pasta, potato, rice, coleslaw. However, I don’t know about you but I always like to have something acidic with a pop of fresh to cut through all that creaminess.  This bean salad is my favorite bean salad because it is so tangy and sweet at the same time that it cuts through all my other favorite creamy salads which let’s me enjoy them even more.  It almost has the same affect as sherbet in between courses at a fine dining restaurant.  It just cleanses the palate ready for the next bite of food!

Traditional 3-bean salad has canned green beans and canned kidney beans, neither of which are my favorite.  This 3-bean Salad has black beans, cannellini beans and garbanzo beans, three of my most favorite beans.  But just to step it up a notch, it also has mandarin oranges, red onion and fresh parsley to give it pops of color and make it so beautiful and delicious!

You are going to love how the flavors of this salad come together.  The creaminess of the beans with the fresh pops of orange and the crunch of the onion.  It’s sensational, and one of our families favorite salads to have at Barbeques or picnics.  

A couple of tips for this recipe:

  1. You can definitely change up the kind of beans you add to this salad.  If you are die hard kidney bean fan, they can be used in here no problem.  Red beans, (smaller than Kidney) are also one of my favs.
  2. Yes, you can switch out sweet, yellow or white onion for the red.  I just love the color of the red onion in this.
  3. I like a tangier salad.  If it’s too tangy for you, you can add a little extra sugar at the end.  Just add a small spoonful at a time until it’s where you want it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15.5oz) can garbanzo beans
  • 1 (15.5oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15.5oz) can cannellini beans
  • 1 (15oz) can mandarin oranges
  • 3/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Drain and rinse all three kinds of beans.  Drain the mandarin oranges.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add all three kinds of beans, the mandarin oranges, red onion and fresh parsley.
  3. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  4. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss together lightly.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
the best bean salad recipe pinterest pin
the best bean salad recipe

The Best Bean Salad Recipe

Source: donuts2crumpets
This untraditional three bean salad combines garbanzo, black, and cannellini beans with mandarin oranges, red onion and parsley for a tangy summer side dish!
Servings: 8
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 15.5oz can garbanzo beans
  • 1 15.5oz can black beans
  • 1 15.5oz can cannellini beans
  • 1 15oz can mandarin oranges
  • 3/4 cup red onion diced
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Drain and rinse all three kinds of beans.  Drain the mandarin oranges.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all three kinds of beans, the mandarin oranges, red onion and fresh parsley.
  • For the dressing, in a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until well combined.
  • Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss together lightly.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour or until ready to serve.

Notes

A couple of tips for this recipe:
  1. You can definitely change up the kind of beans you add to this salad.  If you are die hard kidney bean fan, they can be used in here no problem.  Red beans, (smaller than Kidney) are also one of my favs.
  2. Yes, you can switch out sweet, yellow or white onion for the red.  I just love the color of the red onion in this.
  3. I like a tangier salad.  If it's too tangy for you, you can add a little extra sugar at the end.  Just add a small spoonful at a time until it's where you want it.

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6 Comments

  1. Michelle

    5 stars
    Surprisingly delicious! Made for Memorial Day and it disappeared!

    Reply
    • donuts2crumpets

      I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for commenting and rating! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Samantha

    5 stars
    Sooooooooooooo good! Love this salad.

    Reply
    • donuts2crumpets

      I’m so glad you like it! Thank you for commenting and rating! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Karen

    5 stars
    This bean salad tasted great. Not to powerful of dressing which is what I liked but a nice mild taste flavoring the beans.
    I also added from my garden some cut green beans, sliver cut Swiss chard and greens for added nutrition and color.
    This salad tastes great with and without the oranges. Thank you for a simple bean salad that was totally enjoyed by me and my family.

    Reply
    • donuts2crumpets

      I’m so happy to hear this – it made my day. I love your add-in ideas! Thank you for rating and commenting!

      Reply
5 from 3 votes

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