It’s hard to get excited about three-bean salad. Just mentioning it makes you think of a side dish served at a diner or classic American picnic food. Boring, right?
Before you stop reading, consider the health benefits of beans. On top of being nutritious, they are also cheap.
There are ways to make three-bean salad interesting. Don’t worry. Even when you take this salad up a notch, it’s still quick and easy to make. In my version, there’s no cooking required. I used canned beans from my pantry. By the way, I try at all times to keep a variety of beans in the pantry to minimize last-minute trips to the store.
I made this dish recently for lunch at a friend’s house. All five adults and my 13-year-old son, Jake, enjoyed it.
Lynne’s Three-Bean Salad
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the garlic and jalapeno finely. Be careful not to handle the jalapeno too much with bare hands. (You may want to protect your hands by wearing gloves as you chop the chile.)
Add the jalapeno, garlic, dill, olive oil and vinegar to a large bowl. Add the beans and mix everything up so the bean mixture is well seasoned. Add salt and pepper to taste and, if you like, more vinegar. This salad is best when it’s chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Makes 6-8 servings
