Three bean salad

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 15:24:55 -0400, "Nancy Young" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

We were talking about limas yesterday, I don't know why people
don't like them.

Baby limas work very well in bean salad.

Quoted message said:

Alan mentioned corn, too, that would work.

But then it would be bean salad with corn.

--
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blake murphy said:

oil in slaw recipes makes me nervous. i guess it's there in
mayonnaise, but still. seems like a lot of sugar, too.

I prefer a vinaigrette on slaw (cabbage, that is). Boo!

Cindy Hamilton

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know. Three bean salad is old news to everyone. I have never
made it because it doesn't particularly appeal to me. But, we went
to my brother's place yesterday and his wife made some and it was
very good. It wasn't actually 3 bean ... more like 5 bean.

How she described the recipe, it looked a lot like this one, except
she didn't mention sugar. It sure didn't need it, and she cooks pretty
healthfully so I doubt it was in there. Just curious if this is a typical
recipe and what's up with the sugar:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001911three_bean_salad.php

3-bean salad is one of those quintessential American summer picnic foods.
It's usually

made with canned green beans instead of the cannellini white beans I'm

using

Quoted message said:

here. But

I really don't care for canned green beans, so cannellini it is. Also of
note is that

three bean salad traditionally has a dressing comprised of vinegar, oil

and

Quoted message said:

sugar.

The sugar is important. I tried making this salad without out sugar and it
just didn't work.

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 cup fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped rosemary

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 In a large bowl, mix the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary.

2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil,
salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to
soak up the flavor of the dressing.

Serves 4 to 8.

==========
Your Three Bean Salad variation looks very interesting and attractive.
Funny you should post that today, because I was just looking over this
recipe I found for Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad
1-16 oz can cut wax beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 8 oz can cut green beans or lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 8 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion

Top the above with Mustard Vinaigrette below:

Mustard Vinaigrette:
In a screw top jar combine
1/4 cup vinegar,
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons salad oil,
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced.
Cover and shake well.

Chill 4 to 24 hours before serving.

Quoted message said:

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know. Three bean salad is old news to everyone. I have never
made it because it doesn't particularly appeal to me. But, we went
to my brother's place yesterday and his wife made some and it was
very good. It wasn't actually 3 bean ... more like 5 bean.

How she described the recipe, it looked a lot like this one, except
she didn't mention sugar. It sure didn't need it, and she cooks pretty
healthfully so I doubt it was in there. Just curious if this is a typical
recipe and what's up with the sugar:

snip

I've found that you shouldn't judge the taste of bean salad right after
you've made it. It needs time for the flavors to absorb and mix around. At
first tasting it may be too sweet or vinegary. My mom's recipe is below and
is actually pretty healthy with all the extra veggies. I use double the
kidney beans and add a can of lima beans (or whatever is on hand) and double
the dressing. Without doubling the dressing the flavor of the salad is flat
and watery. I know you are not interested in a sweet dressing, but just
added my comments so that you might have insight into how to tweak your
results if you don't get what you want the first time around.

Bean Salad
1 large sweet red pepper
1 large sweet green pepper
1 large grated carrot
1 onion diced
1 cup celery cut fine
1 can green beans
1 can yellow beans
2 cans dark red kidney beans
1 can lima beans
double the following dressing
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 salad oil
salt and pepper to taste
Let salad stand in refrigerator at least several hours before serving.
Janet

Nancy Young said:

"itsjoannotjoann" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

It's one of those dishes that can be taken or left. Not a favorite,
it's just 'ok.'

I have similar feelings when I see tri color rotelli pasta
salad. Put that next to the three bean salad and it's like there's
no food there. Heh.

But it's not the rotini that's the problem, it's the SALAD.

In my experience, everything that is called "salad," other than salad,
is bad.

Quoted message said:

nancy

--Bryan

<snip> where appropriate

Quoted message said:

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 cup fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped rosemary

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 In a large bowl, mix the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary.

2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil,
salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to
soak up the flavor of the dressing.

Serves 4 to 8.

my version has the following changes to the above...

2 cans of 3 or 4 bean mix (approx 400gm), which usually have red kidney,
lima, chick peas (garbanzo) and cannelini beans
1 can sweet corn kernels, drained
1/2 red capsicum, chopped finely
EVOO
fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste (I like mine a tad lemony)
tiny amount crushed garlic
salt & pepper to taste (depending on mood, will use garlic salt or "normal"
salt, white ground pepper, black ground pepper)

NO rosemary
NO vinegar
NO sugar

cheers!

Cindy Hamilton said:

blake murphy said:

oil in slaw recipes makes me nervous. i guess it's there in
mayonnaise, but still. seems like a lot of sugar, too.

I prefer a vinaigrette on slaw (cabbage, that is). Boo!

Cindy Hamilton

this is what i usually do (repost from 2002):

cole slaw (adapted from 'the everyday cookbook' by betty wason)

2 cups (not too finely) shredded cabbage

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dry mustard, or 1/2 tsp honey mustard

1/2 tbl sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tbl rice vinegar

1 1/2 tbls sour cream }
} or 2 tbl mayonnaise
1 tbl mayonnaise }

* * * * * * * *

mix together mustard, sugar and vinegar.

to shredded cabbage in bowl, add 1/2 the salt and toss. add the other
half, toss.

add vinegar mixture, toss.

add mayonnaise or sour cream/mayonnaise and toss. refrigerate.

4-6 side servings (it says here).

the girlfriend says it's too mustardy. she has a lot of odd notions.

your pal,
blake