Light & Delicious Three Bean Salad

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Our Three Bean Salad is the perfect side dish when you’re serving chicken, seafood, beef, or pork. It’s especially delicious paired with something on the grill, and also works well for a potluck, picnic, or summer event.

White bowl of salad made from beans, radishes, onions, dill, and dressing.

It’s seriously refreshing, delightfully tangy, and healthy, too. Beans contain protein, fiber, and a ton of micronutrients, all the while containing little to no total fat. The more you know!

Three Bean Salad

Our Three Bean Salad (also known as the Dense Bean Salad, which trended in 2024) is an American classic, and a dish that screams “cookout!” Most popular in summer and late spring, this refreshing salad is best enjoyed cold, preferably after the flavors have married after an hour (or more) in the fridge.

The density of the salad means it stays colder longer, making it a perfect addition to your Fourth of July menu or red, white & blue recipes like these patriotic s’mores brownies for any Memorial Day celebrations.

This was inspired by some of the dishes on my list of Best Chickpea Recipes, and pairs well with this amazing recipe for Classic Reuben Sandwiches.

What You Need to Make It

Glass bowls of beans, olive oil, garlic, salt, seasoning, syrup, with bunched of radishes, dill, green beans, and an onion and lemon on counter.

Beans: Green beans, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), and red kidney beans are the heart of this salad.
Onion: Raw onion adds a sharp flavor and subtle sweetness.
Radishes: Radishes add a peppery note to this delicious salad, and pair great with the onion.
Dill: Fresh dill deepens the flavor and lends its unique, summery taste to the dish.
Dressing: A delicious blend of mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, spices and a touch of maple syrup brings this warm weather favorite to the next level.

Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list of ingredients and instructions.

How to Make Three Bean Salad

Begin by preparing your vegetables.

Snap off the ends of the green beans and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Slice the radishes as thinly as you can manage (using a mandoline can help!) Quarter the onion and slice as thinly as you can.

Mince the garlic cloves well. Mincing is easy with this garlic press. (More than 8,000 of these presses were purchased last month, so that tells you how much people love it!) Chop the dill finely.

Green beans and radishes on a cutting board.

Minced dill, garlic, and onion on a cutting board.

In a medium pan over high heat, bring two cups water to a roiling boil. Add about one-half teaspoon of salt, and prepare a bowl of ice water.

Once the water is boiling, add the green beans. Cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the beans and immediately place in the ice water to stop them from cooking.

Prepare the dressing:

In a small bowl, you can add all the dressing ingredients at once and whisk until it’s smooth.

Small glass bowls with onion, garlic, seasoning, olive oil, and a lemon half to the side.

Drain both canned beans and combine with the cooled green beans, onion, radish, and dill in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the beans and lightly mix until everything is coated.

Green beans over radishes and onions with dressing poured over top.

We all have different preferences for salt, so taste the salad and adjust to your liking. Canned beans can sometimes contain more sodium, so saltiness can differ.

White bowl filled with three kinds of beans, onion, dill, radishes, and dressing, on a wood cutting board on a gray counter.

I know it’s tempting to eat it now, but it’s really better if you cover the three bean salad and allow flavors to mingle in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

White bowl filled with three kinds of beans, onion, dill, radishes, and dressing, on a wood cutting board.

Tips & Variations

This is a dish that gets better the longer it sits, so it’s recommended to prepare it at least one day ahead of time.

Green beans vs wax beans: The green beans can be replaced with wax beans (or do a mixture of both).

Dark red kidney beans vs light red kidney beans: Either light or dark red Kidney beans will be perfect for this recipe. Dark red kidney beans have a slightly denser texture, so you can decide based on your preference, or what’s currently available.

If you’re feeling bold, you can substitute in red onion for a sharper bite.

Swap black-eyed peas for the chickpeas for even more variations. (This dish is really versatile. Swap in your favorites to create your own bean salad recipe!

How to Store Three Bean Salad

As it contains no meat or dairy, this dish keeps extremely well, and the flavors will only intensify over time. Three Bean Salad is best kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, and will stay fresh and delicious for up to five days.

Can I use canned green beans in three bean salad?

You can use canned green beans. We prefer fresh, but canned works, too.

Can three bean salad be frozen?

We don’t recommend freezing three-bean salad.

What goes with three bean salad?

This salad is really good with grilled meats or seafood, but it’s also delicious right on top of a green salad. I’ve even added a can of tuna to a cup or so of this salad and it was perfect for lunch.