Name: Quick Three-Bean Salad
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup cider vinegar; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 garlic clove , minced; ½ teaspoon table salt , plus salt for cooking beans; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; ½ small red onion , sliced thin; 8 ounces yellow wax beans , trimmed and halved on bias; 8 ounces Romano bean , trimmed and halved on bias; 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans , rinsed; ¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Store-bought three-bean salad may be convenient, but it can also be mushy and sugary. Here's our simple take on this summertime classic. First, we blanched fresh Romano beans and yellow wax beans to crisp-tender perfection. Canned kidney beans rounded out our trio, avoiding the need to soak and simmer dried beans for hours. Letting the garlic and onion sit in the vinaigrette while preparing the beans tamed the garlic and quick-pickled the onion. A touch of honey in the bright dressing added the appropriate hint of sweetness to recall the classic formula, and a generous amount of parsley folded in just before serving contributed a lively finish.

Want more? Read the whole story

Before You Begin

Be sure to set up the ice bath before cooking the wax and Romano beans, as plunging them in the cold water immediately after blanching them retains their bright colors and ensures that they don't overcook.

Instructions

Whisk vinegar, oil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Stir in onion and set aside.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Add wax beans, Romano beans, and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, then transfer immediately to ice bath. Let beans cool completely, about 5 minutes, then drain again and pat dry with paper towels.

Add wax and Romano beans, kidney beans, and parsley to vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.