This three-bean salad is the perfect make-ahead dish for any BBQ or weekly meal prep idea. Ready in under 10 minutes it is quick and easy to prepare without forgoing any flavor. This salad is a great summer meal for those days when it’s just too hot to cook and is filled with plant-based protein to keep you fuelled for your day.
My mom used to make three-bean salad all of the time when I was a kid, it was a staple dish in our fridge during the summer months that we could just grab for a quick lunch when we needed it. To me, those are the perfect type of summer meals, the ones where you can arrange your own combination of cold goodies based on whatever you have on hand. There are certainly many different ways to make a three-bean salad so this just happens to be mine. I like this combination because there is no cooking required and you can load it up with as many veggies as you like, and if you are feeling a little extra, a sprinkle of goat cheese goes really well on top!
Looking for more make-ahead salads? Check out these delicious recipes:
- Summer Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Asian Quinoa Salad
- Make-Ahead Broccoli & Quinoa Salad
- Make-Ahead Lentil Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Make-Ahead Three Bean Salad
You can add the dressing to this salad immediately or save it for serving, however, I find adding it ahead of time allows the beans and vegetables to take on more flavour. Plus, a little crumble of goat cheese or feta cheese works really well on top.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
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Total Time: 10 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Category: Salads
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Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad:
- 14oz can chickpeas
- 14oz can black beans
- 14oz can kidney beans
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch sea salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- In a large colander, strain and rinse chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans and set aside.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine dressing ingredients, whisk together until emulsified and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the diced vegetables and beans, and give it a good stir to ensure everything is well combined.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss again to ensure everything is well coated.
- Taste the salad and season with additional sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 416 calories
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Fat: 18 grams
- Carbohydrates: 51 grams
- Fiber: 17 grams
- Protein: 17 grams
Keywords: garbanzo bean, black bean, kidney bean, cold, easy, best
Easy to make and tastes right.
Wonderful, happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Very good! Any suggestion for an alternative to white sugar?
Hey Sara, great question! I’ve actually got a free guide to sweeteners that explains all of the best alternatives! You can find it here: https://kaynutrition.com/downloads/guide-to-sweeteners/
Instead of making the dressing can I use a store bought dressing? If so, what do you recommend?
Absolutely! I would go for something simple like oil & vinegar, roasted garlic or Italian. 🙂
Just made and tasted, not ready ro serve, but it is delicious!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it, thanks for sharing!