Easy Bean Salad

This easy bean salad with lentils is a fresh and simple take on the classic three bean salad. It’s a perfect summer salad, potluck side or meal prep recipe for easy weekday lunches.

Bean salad is a staple in my house.  From family potluck dish, to make ahead salad for boating (or camping), to meal prep lunches this dish is in heavy rotation.  In fact, I probably make this easy bean salad at least twice a month.

Usually we make the salad with canned beans, but during the summer when green and yellow beans are plentiful, I’ve taken to using fresh beans in my bean salad.  If you don’t have fresh beans on hand, or even just don’t feel like blanching your own feel free to swap out the fresh beans for a tin each of yellow and green beans.

3 bean salad with a twist

This salad is a lot like a traditional 3 bean salad but it differs in that I also add lentils to it.

I grew up eating 3 bean salad a lot, but when I started making it on my own somewhere along the line I started adding lentils and it was love at first bite!  Now I never make bean salad without lentils in it.  I just love the extra flavour that they give to the salad, and the extra protein is great too – which is why I love having this salad around for an easy vegetarian lunch option.

Also, what you might also notice is different from the classic bean salad is the dressing.  Where most recipes call for some type of vinegar and sugar, this recipe does not.  Instead, I like to dress the salad with a simple lemon garlic dressing.  I just love the freshness that the lemon juice brings to the salad!

How to make this easy bean salad

You can make this salad 2 ways: either with canned beans or with fresh.

To make the salad with canned beans, simply drain and rinse all the beans and then toss them with the salad dressing ingredients along with the diced onion.

If you want to use fresh beans you just substitute with half a pound each of yellow and green beans trimmed and halved.  Steam the beans for 5 minutes (or until the are just tender) then cool and mix together with the rest of the salad.

Don’t forget to marinate!

Although you can serve this salad immediately after making it, for best results plan ahead, and allow the salad to marinate for at least an hour before serving – I promise it is worth the wait 🙂

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS

This recipe for easy bean salad is suitable for the following diets:

• vegan and vegetarian
• clean eating
• gluten free, dairy free, and allergy friendly

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MORE SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

If you like this easy bean salad, you might want to check out some of our other awesome healthy salad recipes:

• Fattoush salad
• Healthy Nicoise Salad
• Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

If you have made this recipe, don’t forget to rate it below!

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5 from 12 votes

Easy Bean Salad

A simple and fresh 3 bean salad with lentils

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword easy bean salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 304kcal

Author Courtney

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb green beans (OR 1 can green beans drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 lb yellow beans (OR 1 can yellow beans drained and rinsed)
• 1 19 oz can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 19 oz can lentils drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For Fresh beans:

• Trim the ends off of the beans then cut them in half.
• Steam the green beans for 5 minutes, or until tender.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss thoroughly.
• For best flavour, allow the salad to marinate for a couple of hours before serving.

For canned beans:

• drain and rinse all the beans and lentils
• Combine them all in a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and toss thoroughly