Beans are a basic food staple all over the world. It is a legume rich in protein, and often one of the main ingredients in a vegetarian’s diet. I love beans hot or cold: in soup, with rice, or on their own. There are thousands of varieties of beans in the world, all of which have different colors, shapes and flavors.  The Three Bean Salad below can be modified to include any type of bean (and even more than just three varieties) to your liking. Have fun experimenting with different flavors in this simple salad for a quick and nutritious dish that goes well with meats or chicken or on its own.  I sometimes eat it with couscous or greens for a lighter vegetarian meal. 

Nutritious & Delicious
Beans are a good source of fiber, protein, iron, vitamin B9 (folate), and complex carbohydrates making it a nutritious addition to any meal – be sure to read the label to find exact amount, as different beans offer different nutritional values of each nutrient.

About this recipe
My mother has been making mixed beans salad for as long as I can remember. She always uses a variety of beans, usually three, for a colorful mixture. I like the variety of colors and flavors of the white, brown and black beans.  You can use any white, brown or black bean of your choice. Alternatively, you can cook your own beans by soaking them overnight in water and cooking them until tender. However, for a quick meal, you can use canned beans. Be mindful to read the label and make sure there are no chemical agents added to preserve the beans.  I like to wash the beans in water before using them to remove the water and salt they were canned with. This is a quick salad that can be served as a side dish or a main dish anytime!

Three Bean Salad in 5 Minutes
Serves 4-6 (as main dish) or 6-8 people (as a salad/side dish)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none (if using canned beans)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (approximately 15oz/425g) of black beans (preferably organic)
• 1 can (approximately 15oz/425g) of white beans (Cannellini, White Northern, etc – preferably organic)
• 1 can (approximately 15oz/425g) of brown/red beans (pinto beans, kidney beans, etc – preferably organic)
  • 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 thin slice of red (purple) onion, finely chopped*
  • Fresh parsley, as much as you like
  • Fresh scallions, as much as you like
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

*NOTE: Although the red/purple onion is not as strong as the white one, it can still be too strong for some people. Therefore you can either leave it out of the recipe (since scallions are part of the onion family as well) or you can leave it in water while you prepare everything and add them at the end, in order to take the “sting” out of the onion.

Directions

1. If using the red/purple onion, do this step first: finely chop the onion slice and place in a bowl of water (if you like the taste of raw onion, you can skip this step and just add the chopped onion to the rest of the ingredients).
2. Open and drain the cans of beans. Carefully wash them with water to remove the water and salt from the can. Drain again and place them in a serving bowl.
3. Chop the tomato, parsley, scallions and carefully mix with the beans.
4. Drain the onions and add them to the bean salad.
5. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and it is ready to serve or leave it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This quick bean salad will last days in the refrigerator; just add a little more olive oil before serving it and voilà: dinner is ready.  Hope you enjoy!