This Bean Salad Is Ready to Go Places

Whether you take it to a picnic or toss it together for dinner, this three-bean salad couldn’t be fresher, faster or tastier.

Every picnic needs a salad that can withstand some abuse: one that can be stuffed into your backpack without fear it will squish; left out in the sun without spoiling or wilting; made a day or two before serving, only to get better as it sits. A three-bean salad is all of that, and more. And its sturdiness, coupled with how quick and easy it is to throw together, may be why it’s become such a summertime staple across the United States. For me, though, the biggest draw of a three-bean salad is its adaptable nature. (I just adore a recipe that I don’t have to stick to.) As long as there are three different beans in the bowl tossed with some kind of flavorful dressing, a three-bean salad can be anything you want it to be.