Three Bean Salad -Fresh green beans, garbanzo beans and kidney beans are tossed in a tasty lemon and dill dressing. A lighter and brighter version of the classic Three Bean Salad (this version has no sugar!) . A perfect side dish for your summer meals, BBQ’s, potlucks, 4th of July celebration etc. {Clean-eating, Vegan, Vegetarian}
Many recipes for Three Bean Salad call for canned green beans, but I think the extra 2-3 minutes it takes to quickly blanche fresh green beans makes all the difference! I love how the fork-tender beans have just the right amount of crunch (and are such a beautiful bright green color). Speaking of crunch, this version of Three Bean Salad gets some extra crunch factor from the added diced celery.
What REALLY makes this salad is the dressing! The combination of lemon juice, shallots, olive oil, garlic, and fresh dill is the perfect complement to the beans. It pairs really well with summer dishes like BBQ Ribs (Crockpot/Instant Pot version coming later this week), Turkey Burgers , Ranch Pork Chops, 15 min. Honey Paprika Chicken, or Buffalo Chickpea Veggie Burgers.
This Three Bean Salad just screams Summer!
Three Bean Salad Recipe Tips:
How to Blanche Green Beans:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and water and set aside. When water is boiling add green beans and cook until bean begin to turn bright green and become crisp-tender (about 2-3 minutes). Drain green beans and immediately transfer to ice water for about 30 seconds.
Storing Suggestions:
Can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 6 hours. If more than 6 hours until the time you plan to serve the salad, store the green beans separately and combine closer to serving time (lemon juice can cause the green beans to turn darker at the ends if left too long- not in an unsightly way- they will just look more like canned green beans vs. fresh bright green beans). I’m suggesting leaving the green beans out vs. storing the dressing separately because the other beans mingling in the dressing is a good thing, they soak up the lemony dill flavor. My suggestion to store the green beans separately is just for aesthetic purposes, I happen to love how the bright green beans really scream freshness, but if they do turn darker (like canned green beans look) they are equally as delicious, just not bright green.
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice ( juice of approx. 1 medium lemon)
- 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2- 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ lb. fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 (15 oz ) can garbanzo beans, (or butter beans) rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- In a small bowl whisk shallot, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile fill a medium mixing bowl with ice and water and set aside. When water is boiling add green beans and cook until bean begin to turn bright green and become crisp-tender (about 2-3 minutes). Drain green beans and immediately transfer to ice water for about 30 seconds. Drain well.
- Add green beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and celery to a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over beans and toss to coat.
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