Herby Three-Bean Salad
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 1½teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1¼teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
- ¼cup unsweetened rice vinegar, plus more to taste
- 2teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
- 1cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1cup thinly sliced fennel, celery or a combination
- 8ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)
- 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1(15-ounce) can cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, cilantro or a combination
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
214 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 414 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a dry medium saucepan (one large enough to hold the green beans in Step 4), toast coriander seeds over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Once the seeds are cool enough to handle, use a mortar and pestle to crack them, or place them on a cutting board and crack with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Set aside.
- Step 2
Fill the same saucepan you used for the coriander with salted water and bring to a boil.
- Step 3
While waiting for the water to boil, combine ¼ cup vinegar, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add onion along with fennel or celery, or both, and toss. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad.
- Step 4
To the boiling water, add the green beans and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn bright green and are crisp-tender. Immediately drain beans in a colander, then run cold tap water over them to stop the cooking. Once cool, pat them dry.
- Step 5
Add the blanched green beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, herbs and toasted coriander seeds to the marinated onions. Season with remaining salt and pepper, and gently toss to evenly combine. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed. (Keep in mind that you'll also be adding flaky salt to finish.) Drizzle with olive oil and flaky sea salt, and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Prakash Nadkarni
A very nice recipe. However: * Cilantro-haters may find the 1 1/2 tsp of coriander (=cilantro) seed a bit assertive, and may want to substitute cumin or Italian seasoning. * Finding "unsweetened" rice vinegar (which is naturally sweet) may be challenging. But a little sweetness seems to work well in bean salads - e.g., Costco's house brand. * A little minced garlic would complement the beans nicely.
Debbie Crane
I followed the recipe - using mint and dill for the fresh herbs. It was excellent. Such a nice blend of different tastes that all work together. The crisp green beans, onion, and fennel make a nice counterpoint to the softer canned beans. By the way, coriander seeds and cilantro come from the same plant, but have a totally different taste profile. No soapiness with the seeds- just a deep, rich nutty flavor.
C. Hamster
There should be no problem finding unsweetened rice vinegar. It’s available in most supermarkets in the Asian food aisle. Avoid “seasoned” rice vinegar and double check the ingredient label to make sure no salt or sugar has been added.
Prakash Nadkarni
@Debbie Crane: (I love cilantro seed AND leaf, but I know 4 folks who leave both alone but find cumin seed OK). Seed & leaf share some molecules (R-linalool, pinene, decanal): the 1st is citrusy, but the last is kin to the leaf's offending aldehydes. Try a taste test to decide if coriander seed is for you. Many overcome an initial aversion: see Harold McGee's article on cilantro: nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html "Cilantro Haters, It’s Not Your Fault".
Linda Newman
I would recommend making the salad in the morning and letting it sit in the refrigerator so that the flavors have a chance to blend thoroughly. I first made the salad right before dinner, and it was good; but after the leftovers had been allowed to sit overnight, the salad was even better. The herbs I used were dill and parsley.
Mary from Terry, MS
I'm going to serve a thick slice of good feta on the side with this salad so my protein-hungry husband will like it.
Barbara in Santa Barbara
Was thinking of using raw snap peas instead of the green beans.
Mary Bird
Who knew that toasted and cracked coriander seeds could add such sweetish complexity to a salad. This is spectacularly good.
Faded elegance
Delicious. Subbed celery for fennel, added celery leaves to parsley for my “soft herbs.” Haricots verts for the green beans. Otherwise all the same. This was a lovely combination of textures and colors - summer on a plate when served with some roasted tomatoes and lemons alongside shrimp sautéed with lots of garlic and dressed with lemon zest/juice and more parsley.
Swati
It didn't get mushy, it did get tastier on day 2. I had made A TON, so I used the remaining to mix in with some quinoa for a quinoa bowl. I had way too much of that too, so I just threw some flour into what I had left over to make a dough that I'm going to make flatbread out of :) So it's very versatile.
susan
super delicious salad as is. i was worried the green beans would lose their bright green vibrancy but, with copious herbs, the salad presented beautifully, hours after being made and sitting out. the crushed coriander seeds really contributed a lot of flavor that took this salad from good to great - don’t skip them!
Swati
I made many changes, but I think I stuck to the essence of the salad, and MY GOD it's amazing. Mix in: one diced red onion, diced green bell peppers, diced fennel, blanched chopped green beans, and sugar snap peas with the ends trimmed. Throw in a can of drained cannelini beans. Add pistachios (as much as you like), pepita seeds. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, lime juice (or lemon juice, or both). Finish with cubes of cheese. To serve, top off with Trader Joe's tzatziki and kale-cashew pesto.
DJ
I never understood 3 bean salad until today. This was outstanding, especially using heirloom bean varieties. Chopped fresh thyme and Rosemary were great, loved the crunchy green beans, fennel, celery and red onion. Didn’t have soft herbs, instead served with crisp chopped romaine lettuce. Fantastic flavors and textures. This will surely be made again and again.
JR
I didn't have string beans so instead used Kidney beans with the chickpeas and cannellini beans -- I added more vinegar as I prefer that tart/sour flavor - overall excellent. Better the next day.
farmer toni
A winner. Made as written (with the addition of some carrots for color). Fresh, flavorful, diverse textures, economical and very satisfying. Multiple herbs really make it sing.
Pam from New Hampshire
I loved this. I finally have something to do with all the herbs plus the green and yellow beans growing in my garden all summer. Loved the suggestion to serve with a slice of feta.
Kim Alvarez
I find the amount of red onion overpowering, so I use only half.
Hal
less onion
Sara
Very very good! Bright and light and just overall delicious. My modifications: used ground coriander, alubia blancas from Rancho Gordo for the white beans, and roasted the green beans because roasted green beans are just awesome. :) Makes an excellent light dinner w toast on the side.
Greg
This has become a regular side dish for me. So fresh and zippy. It also invites variations with what is in the fridge or the cabinet or the garden. Artichoke hearts, always in the pantry, were a good substitution. Throw sliced, grilled chicken on top, some bread on the side, and you have dinner. Side dish-check. Lunch-yes. Dinner-Yep. That, too. Thanks Melissa.
Posy Gering
We agree it’s delicious! Added cucumber & radishes to make it more salad-y and reduced the oil to 1T, cuz we love vinegary dressings
Nancy
I’m not a cilantro fan but had no problem with the coriander. Go figure. Delicious combination of flavors and somewhat textural. Yum and thanks, Melissa.
BabsD
Use red wine vinegar instead of rice. Omitted coriander and thyme
DJ
Great way to use up extra herbs or green beans/snap peas. Made exactly as written but 1.5 times the recipe, but no fresh thyme so added about .5-1 tsp dry. Almost perfect when made the night before serving. Needed a good deal of salt just before serving, so next time will salt and toss a few times while it sits in the fridge. Used about 1c fennel and .5c celery. Mandoline makes prep very quick. Herbs - dill, cilantro, mint, and soft leaves from the fennel and celery. Use salted canned beans.
me!
Seemed like a good idea to blanch green beans in the chickpeas' salted water, rather than draining and rinsing away or using plain water. And it was! This is a great recipe and very versatile. Any fresh vegetable will be a tasty addition.
CZ
I loved the coriander in this salad. I used fennel and celery in lieu of the green beans and just Italian parsley for the herbs. This will be a summer staple.
E Bondurant
Solid recipe. If you don't like Coriander, use celery seeds and Caraway like I did. Delish. Had no fennel so celery did the trick. I think a radish or two would work as well. Great as a prepare ahead dish for a party or Thanksgiving. Gets better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
Karen
Can do frozen shelled edamame for one of the beans.
erin
I added finely minced shallots to the dressing/marinade. Having never made the recipe without it, I can’t tell if it was necessary, but there was no garlic and only red onions so I wanted that flavor! This labor intensive recipe is delicious!
lidaki
I substituted our freshly harvested asparagus to replace green beans. Lemon adds zip as does a touch of Dijon & Lemon Thyme in the vinaigrette. I also added farro & another time raw buckwheat kernels. All enjoyed the addition of a grain. Diced red pepper or sliced radishes adds color. Great recipe.
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