Food Blog: The Best Make-Ahead Picnic Salad

Three Bean Salad

Like macaroni salad and potato salad, three bean salad takes me right back to my childhood. It was something I ate at potlucks, picnics, and even the occasional school lunch. I remember liking the sweet and tangy dressing, but the mushy canned green beans? Not so much. So, to kick off picnic salad season this year, I've got a new three bean salad recipe to share with you. In many ways, it's just like the one I ate as a kid. It features dark red kidney beans and hearty garbanzos, and it's tossed in a punchy (though considerably less sweet) dressing. But those canned green beans? You won't find them here. Instead, I add blanched fresh ones, along with thinly sliced celery and red onion for crunch. It's bold and refreshing, and like any good picnic salad, it only tastes better if you make it ahead. I think you're going to love it!