Three-Bean is Supreme!

When I was younger, I remember that my Mom really liked 3-bean salad. She'd buy it in little plastic containers, which were either circular or rectangular, and have it as a snack or with lunch. I can still smell the vinegary aroma that wafted into the air from that colorful dish. It tasted both sweet and sour the first time I tried it myself, probably years later. The trio of beans didn't look appetizing to me as a child but during college, I starting liking this dish a lot. And in the past few years especially, I have bought it from either Costco or the local grocery store, as the perfect healthful snack or complement to a salty meal.

Yesterday, Ken and I were scheduled to attend a potluck with our friends from Stephen Ministry. It took me all morning and a good portion of the afternoon to figure out what our contribution would be. For background, I love potlucks. I love the different dishes people bring and the anticipation of whether or not those dishes will go well together (they almost always do). I also love spending time with lots of people in one place, sharing life together through food and conversation.

Likewise, potlucks are a great venue for people to try out their cooking skills on others. For this very reason, it took me quite a while to decide on what dish to make. I had planned about a week ago to make one of Martha Stewart's famous six-or seven-layered pastel colored cakes, but then a day and a half ago, one of our friends shared that she wanted to bake a New York Cheesecake. In addition to that dessert, there was going to be a large chocolate Costco cake and cookies available. This meant no dessert from me, since I didn't want to overwhelm anyone, let alone myself, with too many dessert options. So, I did what I do in a lot of last-minute, anxiety-prone moments: I asked Ken to help me. He was very generous in offering support and pointed out that 'we have lots of fresh green beans in the fridge' and 'how about I use them for 3-bean salad'. One idea led to the next, and I started washing, chopping and then sauteing those green beans.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and adapted a couple things. The finished product is incredibly rich in flavor and was a hit at our potluck. I just ate one of the last few servings a minute ago and am sad to see our 3-bean salad supply dwindle. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's a delicious vegan stand-alone snack or can be served with any number of salty meats if you desire. It's also great chilled and eaten outside during the summer!

3-Bean Salad

Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Serves 12+

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups fresh green beans, stems removed and sliced into 1/2" pieces

1/4 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced and partially crushed 

1/4 cup water

2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat a 9" cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the olive oil and coat pan. Then add the chopped green beans and diced onion, cooking 6-8 minutes until green beans are bright and onions are caramelized. In the last minute of cook time, add the minced garlic to the pan. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and immediately cover the pan with a lid and set timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn the heat off and transfer the green bean mixture to a large bowl.

In that same bowl, combine the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and celery and gently mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, black pepper, and salt. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours, and gently toss before serving.