Mike's Zesty Three Bean Salad

Mike's Zesty Three Bean Salad with a combination of vibrant beans, roasted peppers, fresh cilantro, and more, my simple three bean salad recipe is the perfect party food!

It's difficult to go wrong with a delicious three bean salad if you're searching for a great side dish for a cookout or the ideal item to bring to your next party. It is regularly presented to potlucks all around the world and is the perfect vegetarian dish you need for that BBQ.

Three bean salads are a favorite of mine and are frequently ordered. I can tell with absolute certainty that no two three bean salads are the same. Why? because they may be made in so many various ways. There are so many possible ingredients. So many delicious and entertaining combinations.

The purpose of this essay is to share with you my go-to recipe for three bean salad while simultaneously demonstrating how you may alter it and make it uniquely your own by decomposing it into a process.

Making your own special three bean salad recipe seems wonderful. I believe so! Now let's talk.

About Three Bean Salad

You'll need three ingredients to produce your own three bean salad: beans, dressing, and supplementary ingredients. Once you've selected your selections, just whisk together your vinaigrette and pour it over your assortment of beans and accompanying toppings in a bowl.

Mix thoroughly and chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.

This is a straightforward explanation of the traditional recipe, and as you can see, it is fairly simple to find modifications.

Let's talk about how the components are broken down.

Best Beans For Three Bean Salad

Light Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, and Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) are my three favorite beans for a three bean salad. You can substitute other beans if you'd like.

Cannellini beans, green beans, wax beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, navy beans, great northern beans, and many other beans are also quite popular. It's best to combine different flavors to suit your palette, but make sure to start with my selection of beans.

A "three bean" salad requires three beans, as the name suggests. But there are no guidelines here. The requirement to use three beans is not stated anywhere. You just want to utilize two beans. Try it out. Four or five beans, perhaps? Sure! The better, the more beans.

Mike's Zesty Three Bean Salad Ingredients

• 1 15 ounce can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small red onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon spicy chili flakes optional
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste – I like to use a couple tablespoons
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Into a big basin, add the rinsed and drained beans.
2. Slice the peppers into quarters and remove the seeds if you wish to use roasted peppers. Place them on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased. Broil the peppers for 20 minutes, or until the skins char and bubble up, in the center of the oven, away from the heat source. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then peel. Chop the peppers, then discard the skins. They should go in the mixing basin.
3. Simply stem, core, and chop fresh peppers if you want to use them. They are placed in the mixing basin.
4. Add the chopped cilantro, onion, and garlic.
5. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chili flakes, spicy sauce, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Put it all in the mixing basin and stir until everything is evenly coated.
6. At least one hour should pass before serving. Longer is ideal to allow more flavor to emerge.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Plan beforehand. This three bean salad can be prepared up to two days ahead of time.
• Why Drain Beans from a Can? In many cases, the liquid from canned beans can be used in dishes like soups and stews, but for this recipe, rinsing the beans will result in a much cleaner and more flavorful bean salad.
• Bean Shade. Choose your beans based on color as well as flavor. A dish with an appealing combination of colors will come from selecting a variety of various bean types.