Spicy 3 Bean Salad is a very flavorful twist on the classic American favorite with a distinctive extra flavor and bit of heat – guaranteed to be a hit!
This Spicy 3 Bean Salad is an especially flavorful and addicting version of the American classic – with a bit of heat and that special green chile flavor. This batch got gobbled up in no time. I found the chiles blend in with the other flavors so well, you might realize they’re there … but you can tell there’s something different and extra flavorful about it.
I’ve always loved 3 bean salad – the classic sweet-sour vinegar dressing makes ordinary beans into something memorable. Adding green chiles punches it up while only changing the flavor in a very subtle way. It doesn’t really come across as Mexican or Southwestern – just a bit more interesting and flavorful. I used 505 Southwestern Medium Flame Roasted Green Chile – so convenient. I get the big 40 ounce jars from Costco when they go on sale (about twice a year). Note this is not the 40-ounce 505 Southwestern Green Chile Sauce (which Costco also sells). You have to cook a lot with green chile to go through these jars quickly enough. If I’m not using the whole thing up, I freeze it. It freezes pretty well, though you shouldn’t thaw and refreeze more than a few times.
Often 3 bean salad is made completely with canned beans, but the fresh green beans make a big difference in the taste of this salad. It’s worth the small amount of extra work for this.
This is a very easy, fail-proof dish that’s perfect for parties and picnics; double the recipe and take it to the next get together. Hope you all try this one and like it as much as I do!
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups fresh green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
- ⅓ cup red onion, very thinly sliced into 1 inch strips
- ½ cup medium diced green chiles (I used 505)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- Bring about 3 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Dump the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, cooled green beans, red onion, green chile and parsley in a large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the beans and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours or up to three days, then serve.
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