This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Three Bean Salad is good, but four bean salad is even better! This flavorful, cold, protein, fiber filled vegetarian salad recipe is perfect for potlucks!

Other favorite potluck recipes include Fresh Corn Salad, Texas Caviar, Fresh Broccoli Salad, and Strawberry Pretzel Salad for dessert.

recipe for Three Bean Salad
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great recipe ideas from me every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Why this recipe works:

I’m going to call this recipe a three bean salad even though I technically used four beans.

  • If found this easy salad recipe to be very similar in taste to my Marinated Tomato Cucumber Salad. But, instead of the tomatoes there are four types of beans.
  • The dressing is a tangy vinaigrette that perfectly complements the beans which would otherwise be pretty hard and bland to eat on their own.
  • The red onion and fresh cucumber offer a fresh and flavorful crunch.

All in all, this salad was completely satisfying and I found myself coming back for more.

classic Three Bean Salad recipe

What beans are best:

I’ll tell you what I chose as well as offer up a few other options.

  • Green beans – Mark my words. This is the only time you’ll see me use canned green beans. I’m usually not a fan. I even make my green bean casserole with fresh green beans. But, for whatever reason, they work in this recipe.
  • Cannellini beans – These are some of my favorite beans to add to soups, like my Kale Soup with Italian Pork and White Beans. These beans are super tender.
  • Kidney beans – I typically only use kidney beans when I make my chili, but they work great in this recipe and hold up well.
  • Garbanzo beans – aka chickpeas. I always have at least one can of garbanzo beans available in my pantry, but it’s usually to make homemade hummus or chickpea salad. They’re a great addition in this three bean salad though.
  • Wax beans – I would have used wax beans in this recipe if I could have found them, but I didn’t. The only recipe I’ve ever made with them was Wax Beans with Bacon and Tomatoes and that was because I received a big bag of beans in my CSA box.
  • Black beans – I love cooking with black beans and they would have worked well in this recipe.
  • Lima beans – not something I usually cook with but it’s an option

Storage recommendations:

I can tell you that this recipe makes quite a bit and I was eating leftovers for days. It kept well in my refrigerator for at least 3-5 days.

Just be sure to keep it in an airtight container and give it a good toss before serving.

three bean salad recipe

Recipe tips:

  • Do you need to cook canned beans? Nope. That’s the beauty of canned beans. Just give them a good rinse before you use them and they’re ready to eat.
  • You can certainly use fresh beans, like green beans, in this recipe. I would just blanch in boiling water for no more than a minute with a quick transfer to an ice water bath right after.
  • If you want to use dried beans, that would require some soaking and boiling first – not usually worth the time and effort for a quick and easy salad like this.

I find this salad to be so incredibly satisfying! It is truly one of my favorite potluck dishes, but you can also make it as a side dish for dinner along side some Buttermilk Fried Chicken and some Fresh Corn Salad.

Other great potluck recipes:

Love making potluck recipes everyone will love? You’ll want to try these favorites:

Pin this now to save it for later

Pin It

Three Bean Salad

Prep10 minutes
Cook0 minutes
Onion soak time (optional)30 minutes
Total40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Three Bean Salad is good, but four bean salad is even better! This flavorful, cold, protein, fiber filled vegetarian salad recipe is perfect for potlucks!

Equipment

Ingredients 

Salad:

  • 1 15- oz can green beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15- oz can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15- oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15- oz can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 English cucumber seeds removed, halved, sliced (about 2 cups)

Dressing:

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great recipe ideas from me every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Add drained and rinsed beans to a large bowl. If you want to only make a three bean salad, you can remove one of the varieties of beans and have two cans of your favorite bean.
    kidney beans, grean beans, chickpeas, cannelli beans
  • If you find raw red onion to be rather strong, you can soak the cut slices in cold water for about 30 minutes and then draining before adding to the salad. This step is optional but encouraged. Add onions and cucumbers to the bowl with the beans.
  • Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until all of the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust sugar and/or salt if desired.
  • Add dressing to salad and gently toss to combine, taking care not to crush the beans. There will be excess dressing at the bottom but that is what you want because it tastes so good. Give it a good toss just before serving if some time has passed.
    cucumber Three Bean Salad

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 762mg, Potassium: 274mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 35IU, Vitamin C: 8.9mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 3.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave me a comment below

Hi! Iโ€™m Krissy.

I love to create the BEST versions of your favorite recipes. If you love to cook, love to eat, or just have a deep appreciation for good food, you're in the right place! Stick around... I have hundreds of recipes for you to make.

You May Also Like

5 from 6 votes

Leave a comment

Ask a question or leave a comment. I'm happy to help in any way and I love hearing what you think about the recipe. Be sure to leave a rating!

Recipe Rating





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

10 Comments

  1. I really loved this. I did usd fresh green beans. I steamed the beans to tender crisp. Tasted great and was able to usr all fhs beans my mother in law gave us.

  2. 5 stars
    Loved it! And my teens loved it! I like to add chopped colored bell peppers and offer feta cheese for topping.

  3. This looks really good & I’m going to try it this week! In the photo, it looks like you’ve sprinkled some spice or seasoning on top. Is it parsley? Or dill? Or Italian spice? What do you recommend?

    1. Hi Susan, I sprinkled freeze dried parsley on top. Not so much for flavor, but just to make it look more colorful in the pictures (food blog secret). Personally, I enjoy fresh or freeze dried parsley on everything though! -Krissy

  4. 5 stars
    Made this recipe and it was fabulous. My husband does not care for beans and he loved it. Thank you Krissy! Another Great recipe. My go to expert!

  5. 5 stars
    Loving your recipe for a Classic with a twist—4 beans! The more beans the better in my eyes. My mother used to make it with Green beans, Kidney beans, wax beans, a sweet vinaigrette, and red onions. We loved it when we were kids so this is exciting to try. Saving your recipe to make for another day.

  6. 5 stars
    I love using more than one type of bean in my recipes also! This Bean Salad looks so flavorful and easy to make!

  7. 5 stars
    Three bean salad is one of my favorite summertime sides. Yours looks wonderful and I love that you topped it with cucumber.