Three Bean Salad

 Three bean salad is something I associate with my mother and cookouts in the 80's. It is kind of on the level of seven layer salad (also a pretty good cookout offering). Letely we have had a lot of green beans in our life. I really like greenbeans better fresh and not cooked. In my mom's 80's version of this "convenient" salad canned green beans were traditionally used. I decided to try it with fresh snapped beans, and I think it works even better. The recipe below is the traditional combination, but I often substitute or add depending on what I have on hand. Tonight I made the dressing with scallions instead of red onion, and I didn't have any celery, but I did have a poblano pepper, which worked great for that nedded veggie crunch. I also love to add any fresh herbs I can grab from the garden. Parsley is called for, but basil, oregono, chives or tarragon work well too. 

This salad is a great way to get fresh veggies and protien. It is easy to put together and leftovers are great for lunch the next day. 

Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh greenbeans, snapped into 1-inch pieces

2, 14-oz cans of beans, your choice, red, pinto, black or garbanzo work great

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup chopped parsley

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 cup diced red onion

2 garlic cloves diced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Combine greenbeans, canned beans, celery and parsley in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

2. In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour dressing over the beans, toss and enjoy.