• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Plant-Based Cooking
  • Start Here
    • Why Eat Plants?
    • The PlantBasedCooking Promise
    • Introduction
    • What is a Plant-Based Diet?
    • What to Expect
    • 12 Tips for Starting
    • Nutrition Needs
    • Meal Planning Myths
    • Plant-Based Myths
    • Got Questions?
    • Freebies
    • Stock Your Pantry
    • Tools, Tips and Freebies
    • Uncommon Ingredients
  • Recipes
    • 12 Most Popular
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Gluten-Free
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Plantricious
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Stews
  • Articles
    • All Articles
    • Cooking Tips
    • Food Facts
    • Getting Started
    • Interviews
    • Meal Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Reader Questions
    • Staying Motivated
    • Success Stories
  • Freebies
    • Subscribe
    • Resource List
    • Freebie Articles
    • Freebie Login
  • Shop
    • Plant-Based Books
    • Cookbooks/Recipes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Pantry Essentials
  • About
    • About PB Cooking
    • About Diane
    • Diane’s Health Journey
    • Contact
  • Cookbook
Home » Three-Bean Salad

Three-Bean Salad

Diane SmithBy Diane Smith Updated on March 26, 2021
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
PinterestFacebook
Jump to Recipe

This delicious mix of plant-based goodness is sure to satisfy your craving for the traditional three-bean salad, which is typically made with lots of oil and sugar.

But this Three-Bean Salad is the bomb! It tastes great, is low-fat and is much healthier for you! Simple ingredients makes this an easy dish to throw together for your next BBQ or picnic.

3 Bean Salad

I can’t say enough good things about beans. First, they’re on Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s list of the “most nutrient-dense, health-promoting foods on the planet.”*

His list has the acronym, G-BOMBS – Greens, Beans, Onions, Berries and Seed. He recommends that you eat these foods daily, and this three-bean salad is a great way to do just that.

3 Bean Salad

Beans and other legumes act as an anti-diabetes and weight-loss food. They are digested slowly, and thus stabilize your blood sugar.

Beans contain soluble fiber, which lowers your cholesterol levels. Beans also give your friendly gut bacteria something to chew on. Bacteria actually ferment the fiber into “short chain fatty acids such as butyrate, and butyrate protects against colon cancer.”**

3 Bean Salad

To make this three-bean salad, you can use any of your favorite beans, canned or freshly made. The traditional unhealthy three-bean salad recipe used green beans, and that’s an option as well.

I like to use kidney, white or black beans, and chickpeas. Then I spice them up with some red onion, chopped celery, and parsley, or even cilantro.

Protein-packed plant-based recipes to try:

  • High Protein Trail Mix
  • Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cream
  • Vegan Avocado Brownies
  • Easy Breakfast Chia Pudding

The dressing is traditionally made with a lot of white sugar, but for this version, we’ll substitute white sugar with either maple syrup or your favorite substitute sweetener. For a granulated sugar substitute, erythritol is the best according to Dr. Michael Greger of Nutritionfacts.org.

Watch his video, Erythritol May Be a Sweet Antioxidant, to get the lowdown. 

Try this easy bean salad and increase your consumption of beans daily.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Three-Bean Salad! If you have a photo and post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!


This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.

"Cooking with Certified Plantricious Guidelines" seal

The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition

  • Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
  • May be minimally processed
  • No added oil
  • No added sugars
  • No artificial additives or preservatives
  • Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
  • Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories

3 Bean Salad
Print Recipe
4.25 from 41 votes
Save Saved!

Three-Bean Salad

This low sugar, low-fat version of the traditional three-bean salad is sure to win you over and provide you with all the valuable fiber and nutrients in beans.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Servings: 6 people

Equipment

  • Colander
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids
  • Whisk
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup red onions peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1 cup curley leaf parsley chopped

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
InstacartGet Recipe Ingredients
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix the beans, red onions, celery, and parsley
  • In a separate bowl, mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk.
  • Pour dressing over the bean mixture and stir to combine.
  • Serve on top of lettuce greens, as a side dish, or with a cold soup or rice dish.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Three-Bean Salad
Serving Size
 
150 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
229
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2.1
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.3
g
2
%
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
86.4
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
 
39
g
13
%
Fiber
 
9.9
g
41
%
Sugar
 
4.2
g
5
%
Protein
 
12.6
g
25
%
Vitamin A
 
250
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
56.9
mg
69
%
Calcium
 
170
mg
17
%
Iron
 
4.9
mg
27
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The nutrition information is a rough estimate. Values will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it’s recommended that you calculate your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Tried this recipe?Tag @PlantBasedCooking on Intagram!

Leave a Comment and Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I appreciate your feedback! Please consider rating the recipe along with your comment—it helps me and fellow readers. Feel free to share any substitutions, results, or tips. Kind, constructive comments only. Your email won’t be published.

PinterestFacebook

About Diane Smith

Diane Smith is a certified plant-based nutrition educator, Food Over Medicine instructor, recipe developer, and founder of PlantBasedCooking.com. She helps people transition to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle with simple recipes, practical nutrition guidance, and realistic strategies for improving health, preventing disease, and aging well.

Reader Interactions

4.25 from 41 votes (41 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Meet Diane

WELCOME TO PLANT-BASED COOKING

I help you shift to a whole-food, plant-based way of eating with practical recipes, clear nutrition guidance, and realistic steps that fit everyday life. Click here for more.

Graduate Badge

Popular Recipes

Roasted Potatoes

Roasting Vegetables without Oil

Plant-Based "Chicken" Nuggets

Recent Recipes

Oil-Free Creamy French Salad Dressing

12 Oil-Free Salad Dressings

20 Vegan Plant-Based Casserole Recipes

Plant-Based Casserole Roundup

Featured Articles

Whole Foods vs Meat

Is Red and Processed Meat Really OK? Debunking the Latest Hype

Chef Heather in white chef's jacket

Heather’s Story: Plant-Based Health and a New Career

Travel Map

Five Tips for Traveling on a Plant-Based Diet

Beets-Fresh

Does Organic Really Matter?

Top 50 Vegan Blogs of 2025

Footer

EXPLORE

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Recipe Roundups
  • Gluten-Free Recipes

About

  • About Diane
  • Plant-Based Cooking
  • The PBC.com Promise
  • Everything Plan-Based Cookbook
  • Contact

Connect

            Plant Based Cooking on YouTube
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement

Copyright © 2026 PlantBasedCooking.com

bean salad in a white bowl

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.