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    Home » Recipes » Fresh Salads

    Four Bean Vegetable Salad

    Updated: Nov 11, 2024 · Published: Jun 6, 2018 · by Jan Nunes

    Close up view of bean salad in a clear glass bowl, garnished with rings of red onions. Pinterest Pin #10.
    Close up view of bean salad in a clear glass bowl, garnished with rings of red onions. Pinterest Pin #9.
    Bean salad on a white platter with text overlay.

    Four Bean Vegetable Salad has green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and a sweet and sour vinaigrette dressing. Red onion adds savory goodness, making it the right dish for grilling, barbecuing, and smokin' hot weather!

    When temperatures soar, vinaigrette dressings are best. They are not only refreshing, but they are also safe to serve when there is no refrigeration available.

    Four bean salad in a green glass bowl and mustard jar in the background.
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    This is an update of my Mom’s "Vegetable Bean Salad" which has less sugar and a hint of the tangy flavor of Dijon mustard. Plus, it is another great make-ahead dish that gets better if it is made the day before serving. Nutritious and colorful beans never tasted so good!

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • My Top Tips
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Other Recipes You Will Love
    • More Delicious Salad Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Because vinaigrette dressings can easily stand the heat, vinaigrette salads are the absolute best for hot summer days and picnics far away from home. They contain no mayonnaise that might spoil on hot days… and are refreshing and light when the temperatures soar.

    My Mom used to make her three bean salad only in the summer and it was a staple for when we would have the occasional picnic with friends. Unfortunately, I have no idea where she got this recipe… or when.

    My earliest remembrance of it goes back to about the summer of 1964, when Mom made it for an outing to Blue Rock Springs with neighbors. I wrote it down in 1975, copying it from her handwritten recipe book. But, as always, I have tweaked it to make it my own.

    My mom's handwritten bean salad recipe in a 3-ring recipe binder from the 1960s.

    Why This Recipe Works

    The original recipe called for 3 types of beans: green, wax, and red kidney. It contained more sugar and no prepared mustard. My Mom’s recipe also called for beans in a #303 can. This is an American can size, and recipes written by mid-century home cooks often noted the 303 can. Before 1980, this can generally held about “2 cups” or 16 oz of product.

    Today, the cans are slightly smaller and only contain 15 ½ ounces of food, but the ½ oz slight change in size doesn’t affect the proportions of the recipe.

    You can probably guess why I reduced the sugar. Although I loved the original recipe, I felt it was a bit too sweet.

    As for the mustard? I add it not for flavor, but for its wonderful property of emulsifying oil with vinegar. You can make this salad without it, but adding it helps keep the oil from separating from the vinegar.

    There isn’t a lot of fuss about making this colorful bean salad as most of the ingredients are pantry items. Chopping the onion is the only step that might take a little time.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredients

    The ingredients, from top left to bottom: apple cider vinegar, sugar, cooking oil, black pepper, Dijon mustard, salt, green beans, red onion, wax beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans.

    Here's what you need for the Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

    • Apple Cider Vinegar - Apple cider vinegar was always the vinegar we had on hand. It tastes a little sweeter than other vinegars.
    • White Granulated Sugar - This is a sweet and sour vinaigrette and you need sugar to make it sweet.
    • Salt - Salt will magnify the sweet and sour flavors of the dressing.
    • Cooking Oil - I prefer a completely neutral flavored oil for this salad and generally use safflower or canola oil.
    • Dijon Mustard - Mustard is an emulsifier in the salad dressing and Dijon has a nice spicy kick.
    • Freshly Ground Black Pepper - Freshly ground black pepper adds heat and flowery notes.

    And for the Salad:

    You will need one 14 to 16-ounce can of each of the following beans:

    • Cut Green Beans
    • Cut Wax Beans or Yellow Beans
    • Red Kidney Beans
    • Garbanzo Beans

    Plus these Aromatics:

    • Red Onion - Red onion is sweet and savory and a perfect choice in salads.
    • Green Bell Pepper - Optional. If you like the vegetal flavor of green bell pepper, it is an excellent addition to this salad.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Process Photo 1 - Whisking the salad dressing ingredients in a small saucepan.

    Make the Dressing. In a small saucepan mix together vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

    Add the oil, Dijon mustard, and black pepper to the vinegar and sugar solution and whisk vigorously to combine.

    Process Photo 2 - The green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and chopped red onion in a large mixing bowl.

    Make the Salad. Drain the liquid from the beans, place them in a colander, and rinse them well with cold water. Place the beans in a large bowl and add the finely chopped onion.

    If desired also add finely chopped green bell pepper.

    Process Photo 3 - Pouring the salad dressing over the beans and chopped red onion.

    Dress the Salad. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

    The four beans, red onion, and salad dressing are mixed together in a large bowl.

    My Top Tips

    ♡ This salad is at its very best when it's made the day before and allowed to marinate overnight.  

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Substitute Fresh Beans. This recipe can also be made with fresh green and yellow beans. Use ½ pound of each. Snap ends and cut beans into 1” pieces. Gently steam until beans are barely tender and shock in ice water. Drain well before using.
    • Substitute White Vinegar. Instead of apple cider vinegar, you can use white vinegar.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I make it in advance?

    Yes! This Four Bean Vegetable Salad can be made in advance and tastes best if made the day before and allowed to marinate overnight.

    How do I store leftover Four Bean Vegetable Salad?

    You can store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    Can I freeze it?

    Sorry, no, you can't freeze this salad.

    Four bean salad on a white platter with a mustard jar in the background.

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    ♡ Did you love this Four Bean Vegetable Salad? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

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    ♡ Did you love this Four Bean Vegetable Salad? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of a four bean salad in a green glass bowl and mustard jar in the background.

    Four Bean Vegetable Salad

    5 from 2 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Four Bean Vegetable Salad has green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and a sweet and sour vinaigrette dressing.
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    Prep Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 40 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 8 Servings
    Calories ~ 365kcal
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    Ingredients
     

    Salad Dressing:

    • ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, or White Vinegar
    • ½ Cup White Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • ½ Cup Safflower Oil, or Canola Oil
    • ½ Teaspoon Prepared Dijon Mustard
    • ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

    Salad:

    • 14.5 Ounces Cut Green Beans, (1 Can, Drained)
    • 14.5 Ounces Cut Wax Beans or Yellow Beans, (1 Can, Drained)
    • 14.5 Ounces Red Kidney Beans, (1 Can, Drained)
    • 14.5 Ounces Garbanzo Beans, (1 Can, Drained)
    • ½ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
    • ½ Cup Finely Chopped Green Bell Pepper, Optional

    Instructions
     

    • Make the Dressing. In a small saucepan mix together vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
      Add the oil, Dijon mustard, and black pepper to the vinegar and sugar solution and whisk vigorously to combine.
      ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, ½ Cup White Granulated Sugar, 1 Teaspoon Salt, ½ Cup Safflower Oil, ½ Teaspoon Prepared Dijon Mustard, ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
    • Make the Salad. Drain the liquid from the beans, place them in a colander, and rinse them well with cold water. Place the beans in a large bowl and add the finely chopped onion. If desired also add the finely chopped green bell pepper.
      14.5 Ounces Cut Green Beans, 14.5 Ounces Cut Wax Beans or Yellow Beans, 14.5 Ounces Red Kidney Beans, 14.5 Ounces Garbanzo Beans, ½ Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion, ½ Cup Finely Chopped Green Bell Pepper
    • Dress the Salad. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Notes

    This salad is at its very best when it's made the day before and allowed to marinate overnight.
    This Four Bean Vegetable Salad can be made in advance and tastes best if made the day before and allowed to marinate overnight.
    Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 26.7mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 4.1mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American

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    About Jan Nunes

    Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

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