The Best Bean Salad Ever!!!

When you find something you think is awesome, you immediately want to share it with others.  This recipe is one of those things. If you like  love bean salad, then this is one you will have to try. I grew up on this recipe. Yes, this one is courtesy of my Mom! Our family Bean Salad recipe.

I have tried a lot of Bean Salad recipes in my time, but never have I ever had one as good as Mom's. I've visited salad bars, gone to potlucks, picnics and bought it in delis. I am always disappointed. 

So here today, I share one of my all time favourite recipes with you. So easy, so simple and so good!

I make this at home, at the trapline cabin and in the RV. It is such a handy thing to have prepared to go alongside  any meal. It's your veggies and a salad. What could be better! This is a great recipe for us at the trapline cabin, as most of the main ingredients are either canned or dried. I have dried kidney and garbanzo beans (chick peas) stored there and cook up a big pot of each for this recipe. The green and yellow beans are canned. In the RV I just used store bought cans of each.

Let's get on with the recipe!

This recipe is a single batch, but I am preparing a double batch in the photos. A double batch fits nicely in a recycled 4 litre (1 gallon) ice cream pail. It needs to sit for several hours or overnight to marinate after mixing it up, so be sure to give yourself time ahead of needing to eat it.

Gather your ingredients...

1 can green beans, cut

1 can yellow beans, cut

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo or chick peas

1 medium onion, red or white

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of oil

1/2 cup of vinegar

2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. tarragon (optional)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. of dried mustard

1 medium green pepper, chopped coarsely (optional)

Open up the cans and drain the beans. I use a small strainer to drain mine. I also rinse off the kidney and garbanzo beans. Dump Place them all into the ice cream pail or another container that you can store them in the fridge in. 

 Cut the onion into quarters and slice thinnish (yes, that is a word!). Add the sliced onions to the beans.

If you are using a green pepper now is the time to add that too. I sometimes have a green pepper lurking in my fridge, but oftentimes I don't. And never at the trapline cabin. So, mine gets made without green peppers 1/2 the time. This is one of those times. Now, in a separate bowl, mix the herbs, spices, oil and vinegar together. Again, I didn't use the tarragon this time. It is not a spice I use a lot of so it is not generally missed in my spice collection, and I usually forget to add it to the shopping list. But, with or without, it is still 'the best'! When it's all mixed well, pour it over the beans and fold it together gently.
Put the pail lid on or cover with plastic wrap or another lid and put it in the fridge for several hours. If you make it in the morning, it will be ready for dinner. When it's time to serve, use a slotted spoon to scoop it out, leaving the liquid behind.

This will keep for days in the fridge. Ours doesn't last that long because it is a family favourite and gets used at every meal after I make a batch. It also gets eaten as a snack between meals! 

And that's the long and short of it. So easy, so yummy and such a great addition to a meal. Let me know if this recipe 'wows' you in the comments below.

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