Ingredients
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Salad
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- 12 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
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- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
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- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
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- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
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- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
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- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the Dressing
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- 1/4 cup olive oil
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- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
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- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
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- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
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- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
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- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until tender-crisp and still bright green.
💡 Tip: Do not overcook them. You want the beans to keep some bite so the salad stays fresh and crisp instead of soft and sleepy.
Drain the green beans right away and transfer them to a bowl of ice water, or rinse them under very cold water until cooled. Drain well.
👉 Tip: This stops the cooking and helps keep that bright green color. It also locks in a better texture.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans and chickpeas. Slice the celery, finely dice the red onion, and chop the parsley.
💡 Tip: Rinse canned beans really well. It helps wash away excess sodium and that canned flavor that can dull the salad.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic until well combined.
👉 Tip: Taste the dressing before pouring it on the salad. A little more lemon juice brightens it up. A touch more honey softens the sharpness.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, celery, red onion, and parsley. Pour the dressing over the top and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
💡 Tip: Be gentle here. Kidney beans can break apart if you go at them like you are mixing cement.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.
👉 Tip: This is where the magic happens. The flavors settle in, the beans soak up the dressing, and the whole salad tastes more balanced.
Give the salad one more toss before serving. Taste and adjust with an extra pinch of salt, black pepper, or a splash of vinegar if needed.
💡 Tip: If it has been sitting in the fridge for several hours, a tiny drizzle of olive oil or squeeze of lemon wakes everything right back up.