Five Bean Salad

By Peggie

Whether you make it for a picnic, potluck, or a weeknight dinner at home as a side dish, this Five Bean Salad is guaranteed to impress. Flavored with homemade garlicky mustard dressing, it comes together in 20 minutes, can be made ahead, and travels well.

Ingredients

• For the Green Beans:
• 1 cup of fresh green beans, rinsed and cut into ½ inch pieces
• Water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• For the Salad:
• 1 (15 ounces) can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounces) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounces) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounces) can of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 stalks of scallions, sliced thinly
• 1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ English cucumber, cut into ½ inch cubes
• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• Garlicky Mustard Dressing
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 20mins

Preparation

Step 1

To cook the green beans: Place a bowl with cold water and some ice. Set aside.
Heat 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. When it comes to a boil, add in the green beans. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until the green beans are cooked to your liking. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans into the ice cold water to stop the cooking. Let it sit a few minutes, drain, and set aside.

To make the salad: Combine red kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, Cannellini beans, cooked green beans, scallions, bell pepper, cucumber, and parsley in a bowl. Give it a gentle mix and set aside.

To make the dressing: Mix all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on, and shake vigorously until fully mixed.

Drizzle the dressing over the bean salad. Using large servings spoons, give it a mix. Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.

Serve.


Notes:
I listed cans as 15 ounces, but different brands come in different sizes. Adjust the amount based on the brand you use.

If you want to make it ahead, you can cook the green beans, put all the salad ingredients in a bowl, place them in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge. You can prep the salad and the dressing up to 2 days in advance. When you are ready, drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve.

If you have leftovers, as long as you keep in the fridge in an airtight container, this salad keeps fresh up to 2 days.