Classic Three Bean Salad

Need a quick and tasty side dish for your next gathering? This three bean salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or barbecues. It's a great make-ahead option that's simple to prepare with readily available ingredients.

Ingredients for Three Bean Salad

To make this easy and delicious three bean salad, here’s what you’ll need:

Beans
This salad features a trio of beans: green beans, wax beans, and kidney beans. Some people like to add a can of chickpeas for extra texture. Canned beans are the easiest choice, but you can use freshly cooked beans if you prefer.

Onion
Thinly slice one white or yellow onion into rings for a mild, crunchy addition.

Sugar
The recipe calls for ¾ cup of white sugar, but feel free to adjust the amount to your taste if you prefer a less sweet salad.

Oil and Vinegar
A simple dressing made with distilled white vinegar and vegetable oil enhances the flavors of the salad.

Seasonings
This recipe uses basic seasonings like salt, pepper, and celery seed to bring everything together.

How to Prepare Three Bean Salad

Making this three bean salad is incredibly easy. While the detailed recipe is below, here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend together.

How to Serve Three Bean Salad

This three bean salad serves 16, making it an ideal choice for feeding a large group. It's perfect alongside popular dishes like pulled pork or burgers. For more great ideas, check out our full range of Potluck Recipes.

How to Store Three Bean Salad

Keep your three bean salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. No need to heat it up; this salad is best served chilled.

Dinogo Community Tips and Praise

"I was in need of a quick and easy salad for a potluck, so I decided to make this one," says Debra Knight. "It was so simple to prepare the night before, and it made a perfect addition to the table."

"Exactly what I wanted — easy and reliable," says Emmy. "I swapped bell peppers for the onion since I’m not a fan, and the result was a great flavor and colorful mix!"

"What’s great about this salad is that most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so you can make it anytime without needing fresh items," explains LIZZYG2.

Editorial input by Corey Williams

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans

• 1 pound wax beans

• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 onion, sliced into thin rings

• ¾ cup white sugar, or to taste

• ⅔ cup distilled white vinegar

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon celery seed

Instructions

Gather all the necessary ingredients.

Combine the green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, onion, sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to chill and allow the flavors to blend.

Dig in and enjoy!

Nutritional Information (per serving)