Colorful Rainbow Bean Salad

Rainbow Bean Salad is one of our favorite summer side dish recipes. Three varieties of beans collide with a homemade bean salad dressing drizzled on top of them. Give this bean salad a try!

If you are looking for something fresh, full of vegetables, and light on the dressing, this vegetarian bean salad is a fantastic option. An easy cold bean salad. Plus, this salad is a great protein-packed vegetarian dish that is light and bright.

We enjoy whipping this up and then using it for our lunches for work for myself and our son. He loves this salad. We pair with some pita chips or flatbread. The pita chips add a nice crunch factor!

T his Bean Salad Recipe Is..

• Healthy, hearty, and wholesome. A flavorful salad you will enjoy.
• Loaded with vegetables, beans, and a satisfying dressing.
• Nutrient-rich, protein-packed, and vegetarian.
• Great side dish, or light lunch option.

What Beans Are In This Summer Bean Salad

Black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans are what are used in this summer bean salad.

Now, if you want to change the beans to fit what you have on hand or prefer, go ahead. These are just the beans we enjoy pairing together.

Other Beans to Consider

• Edamame
• Pale Navy Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Black Eyed Peas
• Etc

Bean Salad Dressing

You will find that making a bean salad dressing is a great way to amplify the flavor. Now, you can skip the homemade dressing if you want.

We just love it with a homemade dressing. It helps to bring out the bold and rich flavors of the beans, veggies, and more.

How To Make Rainbow Bean Salad

• Step 1: Start by making your homemade dressing. We used a mason jar to pour in our olive oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, sugar, and seasonings.
• Step 2: Prep all your vegetables and pour your beans into a bowl.
• Step 3: Pour your dressing over the vegetables and beans, stir, and then place in the fridge. Make sure to place in an airtight container.
• Step 4: We recommend storing in the fridge for at least 4 hours or best overnight, to allow the flavors to marinade.

This is a fantastic side dish to take to potlucks. A cold salad that is great for parties, summer cookouts, gatherings, and more. This is a sweet and sour dressing

Here are more great side dish recipes to try out.

• Spicy Black Eyed Peas
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos
• Fresh Vegetable Salad
• Pesto Zoodle Salad

Practical notes

How long will three bean salad keep?

3-5 days is the normal timeframe for this salad to stay fresh. You will find after that it can alter the flavor a bit and sog up.

Where can we buy 3 bean salad?

Not wanting to make a homemade bean salad? Go ahead and head in to your local Kroger or even Walmart to buy it.

Are canned beans bad for you?

Canned beans are loaded with protein, fiber, and nutrients. They are a quick and easy way to incorporate them into your diet. The downfall to canned beans is they contain a high amount of sodium.

What Else Can we Use?

• If you want to add some cheese to the salad, you could toss in crumbled feta for a creamy twist, or even grated Parmesan.
• Any white bean will work for this recipe. You can just drain and rinse Cannelini or even Northern beans, or consider doing a mix.
• Fennel is a nice addition to the salad, brightening it.
• You can make your beans from scratch if you would like. Just soak, boil, and cook your dried beans according to the package instructions.

What To Pair With Fresh Bean Salad

• Longhorn Steaks
• Salmon With Dill Sauce
• Long John Silver’s Chicken Planks
• Steak Kabobs

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Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

• 1 15.25 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15.5 ounce Can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15.5 ounce Can garbanzo beans (chickpeas),, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ⅓ cup red onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 3.8 ounces Can of sliced black olives, drained
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1- pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

For the dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

Method

1. To make this rainbow bean salad, you will want to prep all your veggies and open your cans and place them in a bowl.
2. Then in a jar or bowl, you will want to work on adding all the ingredients for your dressing. Place lid on the jar and shake, or use a whisk to mix up the dressing.
3. Pour over the veggies and beans, and toss the salad.
4. Store your rainbow bean salad in the fridge for at least 4 hours or let it sit overnight.
5. Then right before serving give your bean salad a toss, and enjoy.

Kitchen notes

Feel free to change up the veggies used or swap beans for what you have if you would like. Store any leftovers in a fridge in a covered dish. The leftover salad will last for up to 5 days.