4-Bean Salad

Chilled four-bean salad may be simple, but it packs a punch when it comes to flavor. Mild, slightly nutty and perfectly crunchy, a bean salad is the ideal bring-along to a potluck or picnic. Served with heartier meals, it complements burgers and hotdogs, but it also works well when served with a more formal pot roast.

This particular salad recipe calls for cider vinegar, making for a softer vinegar taste that’s welcome alongside tangy dishes. This salad does keep well for a few days, but be warned: This is such a popular four-bean salad recipe, you likely won’t have any leftovers.

Ingredients for 4-Bean Salad

• Kidney beans: Slightly sweet with a soft texture, kidney beans are a favorite. This recipe calls for canned beans, rinsed and drained before being added to the salad.
• Garbanzo beans: Garbanzo beans add a nutty profile to the other flavors here. Again, canned beans are called for, and they’ll be rinsed and drained.
• Green beans: This recipe uses canned green beans for ease, but you can opt for fresh if you’d prefer a stronger green bean taste.
• Wax beans: The yellow of the canned wax beans pops against the darker colors of the other beans, plus they add a gentle flavor.
• Green pepper: The green pepper, gently julienned, adds a refreshing taste and lovely texture to the salad.
• Green onions: Green onions, or scallions, aren’t as intense as regular onions. If you’d like a stronger flavor, go for white, purple or even sweet onions.
• Sugar: Sugar in the dressing helps to balance the cider vinegar and onion in this four-bean salad recipe.
• Cider vinegar: Cider vinegar has a bright, slight apple taste that complements the beans, onions and pepper quite well.
• Canola oil: Opt instead for a mild extra virgin olive oil, if you’d prefer.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the beans and veggies

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Julienne your green peppers. Then, in a large salad bowl, combine the four beans, peppers and onions, and mix gently.

Step 2: Make the dressing

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In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, oil and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture, and toss to coat.

Step 3: Chill

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Cover the salad bowl with an airtight top, and allow the salad to sit in the fridge overnight, stirring it several times. Serve the salad chilled, with a slotted spoon.

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4-Bean Salad Variations

• Add avocado: The soft texture and nutty flavor of avocado mirrors the bean taste, making this a welcome addition to this four-bean salad that won’t overpower the other flavors.
• Put a little corn in it: Fresh or frozen corn, thawed, adds a nice touch to the bean, onion and pepper.

How to Store 4-Bean Salad

Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge, and consume the leftovers within three to four days.

Can you make this 4-bean salad recipe ahead of time?

Yes. In fact, four-bean salad is actually best when made ahead of time, after the beans have had a chance to soak up the dressing and the entire salad has had a chance to chill.

4-Bean Salad Tips

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Can I freeze this 4-bean salad?

In a word, no. This salad doesn’t freeze well, so we recommend consuming it within three to four days.

What can I serve with 4-bean salad?

This is one of the best salads to bring along to a picnic. It’s yummy when paired with potato salad and grilled chicken.

Can I swap out the beans?

The beans chosen for this particular recipe have complementary flavors, so it’s best to stick with what the recipe calls for.