We like a buffet with all the family here. We serve a variety of salads. This is also great for summer picnics and cookouts. Keeps well, and serves a lot of people.

Old-Fashioned Three Bean Salad

(15 green beans

wax beans

kidney beans, drained and rinsed

onion,

white sugar

white vinegar

vegetable oil

salt

black pepper

celery seed

Mix together green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, onion, sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Let set in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.


Very tasty, I used splenda instead of sugar, making it diabetic friendly.  I also added 1 can whole kernal corn (drained) 1 can peas, (drained).  I choped my onion instead of in rings.  I increased the amounts of  oil, splenda and vinegar because of adding the extra canned vegetables.  We love this salad, goes great with the slow cooker roast beef recipe I have posted here on allrecipes.com.  Thanks for the great recipe.  One other time I made it, I added chopped celery AND a small jar of pimento's.  Really colorful.

I like this recipe with less sugar. and one of the things I like to add is a can of chick peas, and I always use purple onions.

This is wonderful. I was always looking for a three bean salad recipe with a specific taste and this was it! Other ones leave a vinegar-y taste in your mouth..NOT THIS ONE! 

**I only used a half a cup of sugar and it was perfect


***UPDATE***

I made a HUGE batch of this for my outdoor wedding and there was none left over. I also bring it to any party where I'm asked to bring a side dish because it seems like everyone loves it

**Although it said to refrigerate 12 hours my sister came over about 4 hours after I put it in the fridge. We both ate some (it was still watery of course because I didn't let it sit long) but I strained it and we both agreed it was GOOOOOD

**I will bring this salad to EVERY cookout I go to. It was SO easy to put together and the results are comparable to a restaurant!

o.k I'll stop now...I just can't say enough!

A good basic bean salad recipe, but way too heavy on the sugar for my taste. I cut the sugar by a 1/4 cup and it was still a bit too sweet.

This salad is one of my families favorites!!  I use red wine vinegar instead of reg. It's better the longer you wait to eat it, if you can wait!!

I make this with garbanzo beans added using my grandmother's recipe.  This looks about the same, however, I use chopped fresh celery instead of the celery seed and chopped green peppers in it, too. (chopped small)  This is something my grandma has taken to every family reunion since I can remember.

This is a great recipe for three bean salad! Per the recommendation of other reviewers I reduced the amount of sugar, but next time I will use the full amount. I like the salad on the sweet side.

This three bean sald is delicious and very easy to make. I added some fresh green beans, steamed for a few minutes to the recipe, making it a four bean salad.

This is exactly like my recipe..been making it for years..i like to bring it to work for lunch ..light n filling..good source of fibre too...i use splenda sugar and olive oil for less fat...

I loved it.  I have been looking for a good Three bean salad for ages.  Thanks.
Alice N

Great healthy salad. I changed a few things for my diet by using Splenda for the sugar and olive oil for the oil. This is a great "basic" bean salad but you can change it with any kind of bean which I did. I put in garbanza beans, butter beans, green beans, Mexican corn, and black beans. The flavors were wonderful and I will use this many times but change the beans with what I have on hand. Thanks for the recipe.

We love this recipe and is a staple at all of our cookouts. A very flexible recipe. I use green, kidney, and black beans. I do cut down on the sugar a bit but this is only because I like it with apple cider vinegar. White vinegar needs more sugar.

Very good- also got the kid seal of approval  from my 5 and 8 year-olds!   I used fresh beans from my garden, both green and yellow, so I blanched them for a few minutes in boiling water.  I also threw the sliced onion in for about the last 30 seconds, just to soften them a bit, then I plunged all the veggies into an ice bath.  I used celery salt rather than seed, and that was only because I discovered I was out of celery seed, and I also cut back on the sugar some (probably to about 1/2 cup).  This was very good- my whole family enjoyed it.

I wasn't fond of this salad.  Took it to a Christmas potluck.  Maybe just too many other wonderful food items but this one wasn't a hit and I'll never make this version again.

This tasted better and better the longer it marinated.  I made it about 18 hours ahead of time.  It was yummy!  I used red wine vinegar, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup, and skipped the celery seed.  Very simple, quick and delicious.

This is sssoooo good when made with half the called-for sugar and added chickpeas and 1/2 tsp onion powder as well. Really, even right away it was super yummy.

The dressing for this bean salad is perfect. I wouldn't change anything. This is a truly great side dish.

Delicious. I made as directed and really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe.

Great salad - big hit for a summer picnic.  Always a crowd pleaser.

I followed a lot of the suggestions, cutting down on the sugar and using red wine vinegar.. also added peas as well.  This really was excellent.

We had this for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved it!! I used Apple Cider vinegar and it was soooo good.  Make sure you make it the day before and let it stir it several times..I will be making this again and again..

Great recipe; cut the sugar to 1/2 cup and double the canned vegetables. Let sit over night and stir well before serving. Yummo!

This is a really, really good recipe and fantastic for a take-along to share at a summer cookout.  I make it at least 2 days in advance so the beans can marinate and it is truly delicious.  Thank you for another great addition to my recipe file!

This is not something I make, but thought it might make a good foil for the quiche I was making &amp; it did.  It was addictive, delicious, but...........waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much sugar!  Happy that I heard the other "too much sugar" comments, cutting mine to 1/3 cup [Splenda] &amp; next time, will probably only add 1/4 cup.  I am a sweetoholic.  The submitter states that the recipe makes a lot, &amp; to me, that really isn't true, so maybe the amount of beans was meant to have been tripled, or  at least doubled.......I can't imagine this with all that sugar!  

Wonderful!  My mom makes this all the time, and I didn't want to bother her for the recipe (yet again!).  So I used this recipe, and this is the stuff!  We all loved it!  Just one caution, don't make a double batch unless you have a football team to feed!!  I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this salad!

I used equal part vinegar, sugar and oil (2/3 cup) and, I used red wine vinegar instead of distilled. I added one more can of 7 bean blend (540 ml) and chopped a red onion finely. Didn't have the celery seed, so I added 2 tsp of dried parsley. It was prefect.

Absolutely delicious and perfect the way it is.

Loved it! I added chickpeas but nothing else. Whole family thought it was a hit.

This was absolutely the best  First bean salad I made for Christmas and it was gone!!!!  I would put alittle less sugar next time  a 1/2 cup instead  Otherwise loved it and have shared this recipe with all my guests  they all wanted the recipe

I love this bean salad!  Perfect accompanyment to steaks on the BBQ.  I use purple onion chopped, and sub chick peas for the green beans and add 2 cans of kidney beans.  You can honestly use any bean variation with this dressing.  I also omit the celery seed.  Everyone that has eaten this salad has asked for the recipe.

The recipe's dressing proportions are way off, hence the 3-star rating. Taking down the sugar/oil level to make it healthier, I loved this salad. Will definitely make it again! Subbed a shallot for the onion.

This was amazing! I was trying to use the many green beans I have from the garden this time of year. I wasn't sure if I had exactly the right amount of beans but it all turned out great. I used fresh green beans, yellow wax beans and heirloom dragon's tongue beans and steamed them for approx 5 min before mixing this all together. I may decrease the amount of sugar next time as it was a bit too sweet and I also used just a dash of celery salt as I didn't have any celery seed on hand. I am super in love with this recipe overall and will be making it again and again. Thank you very much for this recipe!

This is a wonderful recipe!!  Instead of using white sugar, I use Splenda and it is just as good!  Thank you!!

I replaced the kidney beans with chick peas, reduced the vinegar to 1/2 cup and the oil to 1/4 cup, eliminated the sugar altogether, and increased the celery seed.  Delicious!  Thanks for providing the base recipe.

This salad is great. I have it for lunch with a can of tuna mixed in it. I usually have tuna mixed in mayo this is a wonderful refreshing change. 

This recipe is good if you are looking for a sweet bean salad.  I would cut the sugar in this recipe to 1/2 cup, or a very scant 3/4 cup.  I did not add the celery seed, and it tasted fine without it.  Many people asked me for the recipe.

This was a really great and easy recipe!  I made it for our Memorial Day BBQ, and we loved it!  I, too, used 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 3/4.  I will make this again!

I followed the suggestions of others and decreased the sugar, and it was delicious. Because I don't like three-bean salad very sweet, I only used 1/3 cup of sugar. That turned out perfect. Plus, the measurement was convenient since the vinegar and oil each require your 1/3 measuring cup. Also, I followed others' suggestions and used a different vinegar (white wine vinegar) and used garbanzo beans instead of wax beans. One warning: Drain your can of green beans (no need to rinse). The recipe does not say to do that even though it says to drain the kidney beans. If you don't drain the green beans, you will have a very soupy and probably diluted salad. With these adjustments, I will be making it again and again.

This is a great recipe for 3 bean salad. I did use fresh green and wax beans, since I am not fond of canned vegetables. I substituted 2 cups of each kind of bean for the 15 oz cans. I needed about 3/4 lb. of green and 3/4 lb. of waxed beans to get the two cups for each type of bean. I steamed the beans until they were crisp tender. Although I initially made half of the dressing like so many recommended, I ended up making another half recipe. I felt it was better for marinating if the beans were soaking in more liquid. When it was time to serve, I did drain out a fair amount of the liquid. I didn't have celery seed, so I skipped that. I added a little chopped celery and green pepper. I did not find the dressing too sweet for my tastes. I did double the salt since I was using fresh beans and low sodium kidney beans. This is a great recipe!!!

Excellent. I put less sugar (about half) I've made this a few times now and I love it!!!

Made this recipe with red onions, added celery, chick peas and red pepper and MUCH less sugar.  Delicious, thanks for the recipe (tried not to make too many changes), dressing is delicious with less than 1/2 the sugar too! :)

This was too juicy and too sweet.  Cut the sugar... a lot.  I won't be making this again.

Excellent salad.  Just hate that you have to wait so long to eat it!  Family came back for more!  This recipe is a keeper!  8-)

this is a great, refreshing, simple dish. i've made it countless times for dinner parties and my boyfriend. i do replace the wax beans for a can of garbanzo beans (personal preference) though. thanks for the delicious recipe!

Yum! This was GREAT! I've always been a fan of three-bean salad and am thrilled to have FINALLY found a recipe that I can add to my permanent file. :) Sure, the canned stuff is good (yes, I like canned bean salad...), but this is SOOO much better! Because I knew I'd be the only person in my household eating this, I halved everything. My grocer sells 8 oz. cans of green and wax beans, so I only ended up with half a can of wasted kidney beans (I'll add those to soup or chili next week). Simply superb! Thanks for sharing your secret recipe, Eleanor. :-)

Tastes exactly like my Mom's 3 Bean Salad..   Delish and Thanks for the Memories!

The taste was good, but I thought it was too oily.  Could do without the celery seed, too.

This is a very good recipe after I adjusted the recipe from other reviews. I added 1/4 finely chopped sweet onion and 2 celery stalks. I used olive oil and decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup. I threw in about 1/2 teaspoon celery seed since I had it. The onion and celery gave it a slight crunch and I let it marinade overnight.

I make this all the time. We have had this with dinners for years. It's a great way to use up canned beans, or get children to eat them. I use less sugar than this recipe but it is definitely my "secret" ingredient since I know many people who do not use it.

I love three bean salad.  As others suggested I always put in the chick peas.  Try a chopped green bell pepper...it adds a lot of flavor!

Fast, easy and great for the diet.  Very good taste.

My favorite bean salad of all time!  Beats any canned bean salad.  I add diced green peppers and diced carrots...YUM!!

Great flavor.  I personally like a sweet flavor to my bean salad.  I followed the advice of other posts and used only 1/2 cup of sugar.  Next time I'm going to use 2/3 of a cup of sugar and I think this recipe will then be perfect for my tastes.

Quite oily, sour, and overpoweringly celery-tasting.  I used dried beans instead of canned, so maybe the extra salt of canned beans would change the flavor... but I would not count on it.

Great recipe! My husbands grandma makes this and I wrote it down but couldn't find it. So I tried this one and it is exactly the same.  I used white kidney beans, chick peas and green beans. I also didn't have any celery seed so I used celery instead. I also added green pepper. Delish! Will make this all summer.

Excellent! I make this as written with the exception of using a 15 oz can of wax beans in place of the fresh.  Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

I have been making this salad for years. I alway add a can of green lima beans and mix white and red onions. Great party salad

This is a really great 3 bean salad recipe and so, so easy to make.  I add chick peas, too.  I used the full amount of sugar and thought it was perfect as is.

I just made this for the first time for a neighborhood 4th of July picnic and it was gone in no time. Everyone said they loved it. It is a very light and cool summer dish.

I used the basic,and did my own thing ,more or less.  added mixed beans,red pepper,red onion &amp; cut the sugar,and used celerey salt. It was a great hit,thanks 

Not bad, but a little too sweet for us, and I cut down the sugar.  I did use splenda, but 1/4 c of it, so it would have been too much for us with the amount called for.  We don't have wax beans, but bf decided we should put in light red kidney beans, dark red kidney beans, great northern beans, and garbanzo beans.  I did still use green beans, though!  It needs a bit more vinegar with all the beans we used, and it tasted okay, but I think I'll try some other recipes.  We actually decided to make our own because the purchased salad is too sweet for us.  Thanks for the recipe!

Just what I've been looking for. I used 1/4 cups each of 5 kinds of dry beans (cooked) because I don't like green beans. It is so good I want to eat it for a side dish with every meal. Thanks for such a good recipe.

The amount of salt is always a problem.... Beans need a lot of salt. 
You can also use any other beans.  It works great with all of them.

We didn't care for the "less sugar" version suggested, that is the only thing I did different except adding a stalk of chopped celery.

This bean salad was a big hit at my party.  I added a can of cut green beans and for the vinegar I used 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar and 1/3 cup apple cidar vinegar and it was so good!

This was very tasty.  I didn't have onion or celery seed so I omitted those ingredients but the recipe still turned out delicious.  Thanks for the recipe!

I was looking for a recipe like this one because I had  this type of salad at a friend"s and wanted to make my own. This tasted almost the same but I would have to admit mine was better. Lol!Thanks for sharing. I have continued to make it and I really love it  in the summertime.

This is so good!  I'm newly hooked on three-bean salad; I had been buying it in the cans for an easy-to-prepare salad for work lunches, something easy, filling, and far less expensive than the salad bar at the office cafeteria.  I found I was adding to the canned stuff and then decided to try a recipe.  Based on the modifications of earlier cooks, I added finely diced green pepper, red onion, and celery (omitting the celery seed).  My own flourishes were to add drained sweet corn niblets and a couple of good shakes of cumin.  I am in love!  Next time I'm leaving out the green beans and just using black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo.  I think I'll also add a shake of oregano.  This is an excellent base.  Sugar, vinegar, oil mixture was right on for me!  Thank you so much for this submission.  And reviewers, thank you for sharing your tips!  

Great recipe.  I used Splenda instead of sugar and cut the sweetener to half.  I love celery seed so I added extra.  I added garbanzo beans like the others and then I also doubled the dressing just because I like it rather liquidity.  I'm printing this for my recipe binder now.  It's a winner for sure.

I am updating this to five stars.  This is SO good!  This is a great salad to take to a picnic or buffet in summer since it has no mayo in it.  I think the amount of sugar is just fine (I use Splenda).  I sometimes add a can of wax beans also.  And I use celery salt instead of seed and omit the regular salt.  Very good!  Thanks for sharing.

Excellent!  Just what I was looking for.  The only thing I changed was to use Apple Cider Vinegar instead of white.

Very good, easy to make and healthy.  I make it diabetic friendly by substituting a little less than 1/2 cup of Splenda for the sugar ( we like it on the tart side).  I also use cider vinegar or red wine vinegar in place of the white.  Also a dash of garlic powder.

This salad is so good and the longer it sits the better it tastes, yummy. 

Made this for a Labor Day picnic, and it's very good with less sugar. I used a half cup, and I'd likely use a third cup the next time I make it. I'm just not a sugary girl! Also used red wine vinegar as another review suggested, that was a good idea! Nice kick. Will make this again for sure. Be sure to make it the day before you use it, those flavors really come out after overnight in the fridge.

When my fiancee asked for 3 bean salad I thought, ECH!! But I looked it up and made it anyway and it is DELICIOUS!! This recipe is great! Even with the sugar, it tasted "just right". This is now our go-to for a side dish!! YUMMMMMM

Very tasty - a little heavy on the oil for my liking though. I used much less and it tasted fine!

Took this to a potluck and eveyone raved. Used 1/3 cup Splenda instead of sugar. Dark red kidney beans make the best looking dish.

This was a great dish.  The children loved it as well as the hubby!!  Thanks!

Yummy! I added a can of chick peas and reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup. It was a hit at a 4th of July BBQ.

An excellent recipe!...just like one I had a few years back (but had lost) - so thank you to the chef who posted this! 
If considering subsitutions...I used a can of mixed beans and a can of chickpeas...left out the onions and used celery salt instead of the seed. Very minor adjustments as I didn't have the exact ingredients and not alot of time to throw it together.
I've already sneaked a few mouthfuls in and it was only made in the past hour! ;)

I used this recipe because it was the first on the list. I won't even try another. This recipe is so perfect. I make it once a week to have as snacks or to make to take to work. I find it better the longer you let i sit. Over one day is best. You could always substitute the sugar for splenda for healthier version. Lots of fiber in this!!!! Thank you for sharing!

I halved the sugar and threw in a bit of garlic since I didn't have an onion on hand. I also used red wine vinegar instead. This really would make a great salad for a picnic, is in fact reminiscent of pasta salad with the oil-vinegar dressing. I for one was never a big fan of pasta salad, but this is a good vegetarian dish nutrition-wise, so in the future, I'll cut down on the dressing for a lighter flavor.

I love this recipe! I did use garbanzo beans in place of the wax beans.
It's very easy to make and I find the tastes really meld together best by the 3rd or 4th day. This recipe is going to be my "holy grail recipe" for bean salad!

The only thing i changed i diced the onions.If my kids see them they dont like it.They didnt even see them

This was ok.  I was expecting more, based on the reviews, but I'm not sure why since the ingredients all come from cans.  I didn't have a lot leftover from the potluck I made it for, so it's worth trying if you like beans!

I think this is spectacular! I really like the extra sweetness, you're eating pretty much healthy. I used light red and red kidney's and chick peas.. Also used red onion and chopped celery in place of celery seed... good. Basically we are rating the dressing, and I loved it!

Wonderful.

I made this for the bridge club and they loved it.  

Best if made the night before.

dressing/marinade is perfect! just the right balance of sweet and tangy. I substituted corn for the wax beans.

very good, I added chopped red pepper and celery and 1/4 cup of honey instead of sugar.  I also used olive oil.

I'd put up a picture, but me and the fam at it all too fast!!! Delicious!! Usually my bean salad is pucker up tart from balsamic vinegar, so the sugar is what totally made it much more better for me. At first I said to myself "what??!! Sugar??", but that is what made it so tasty. I used black beans instead of waxed beans because I didn't have those handy. Kidney beans, chick peas and black beans for now. I'll definatley keep this forever as I love bean salad!

OK, I did doctor this up quite a bit, but the base recipe is quite nice in itself. I added cumin, roasted garlic, about three tablespoons of sweet corn, diced spring onions, fresh estragon and two avocados diced. 

I left out the sugar (don't eat it - the estragon is sweet enough)
Exchanged the wax beans for garbanzo beans and the green beans for lentils. 

Hmmmm.. . not really the same recipe after all. But it was great !

I've made this salad numerous times, and  it is awesome!!!  Needs to sit in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before you serve this.  I always make this with green and wax beans because the colors look great together and the 3rd bean either kidney or  garbanzo beans, I have also made it a 2 bean salad.  If you like a 3 bean salad, this is absolutely the recipe for you!!

Used black beans, green beans,  garbanzo beans, and dark red kidney beans.  Replaced the oil with Olive Oil and the vinegar with Red Wine Vinegar. Used everything else in the recipe as is. Loved it !

Very nice recipe.  Three changes which don't add up to a hill of (ahem) beans:  Splenda, add chick peas, celery instead of celery seed, only because I don't like the seeds.  All three of us enjoyed it very much. It is a great side for sandwiches.  Definitely has to sit at LEAST 12 hours as the recipe directs.  I left mine overnight, and gosh it's good and so quickly and easily made.  I think I'll leave out the garbanzo beans next time.  Thank you, Eleanor!

I cut the sugar in half and it was still MUCH too sweet!

old-fashioned three bean salad

Servings: 16

Cost: $2.26 /serving

Author : Eleanor Johnson

Ingredients

Instructions

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