Modern Three Bean Salad
on Apr 03, 2020, Updated Jun 12, 2025
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A contemporary version of a classic cookout/picnic side dish, with the addition of whole grains, hearts of palm, and fresh herbs to brighten it up.
In certain parts of the country, a good 3-bean salad is almost always the anchor to a potluck or picnic, or any kind of gathering where sturdy, crowd-pleasing, portable, and budget-friendly food is wanted.
But 3-bean salads can be heavy or monotonous. In this more contemporary recipe, the addition of a few handfuls of cooked whole grains and sliced jarred or canned hearts of palm lightens things up a little and provides textural interest. A generous amount of fresh herbs gives it brightness.
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“Delicious! Wonderful vegan salad.” – Elizabeth K.
This bean salad feels classic, and not at all old-fashioned! It’s a great side dish to a meal of grilled burgers or BBQ chicken, or as a protein-packed element of a vegetarian menu.
Ingredients
- Hearts of palm – Rinsed, drained, and sliced.
- Beans – The three suggested beans in this recipe are kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans, but substitutions are welcome. Rinse and drain the canned beans before adding them to the salad.
- Cooked spelt or farro – You can also try wheat berries, barley, or any other whole grains you like!
- Fresh herbs – Parsley, basil, and thyme add lots of freshness to this salad.
- Rice vinegar – You can really use any vinegar you have on hand, though I prefer rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Olive oil
- Red onion – Red onion adds a much-needed crunch and some sharpness to the mixture.
Kitchen Smarts
When you are cooking the spelt or farro for this recipe, make some extra, which is nice to have later in the week to add to pilafs, salads, soups, and stews.
How to Cook Three-Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm
- Combine the beans, grains, and hearts of palm.
- Make the dressing.
- Finish the salad. Pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss to coat everything well. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Storage
You can make this salad up to three days ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge.
Leftovers make terrific lunches on the go (or at home…). The other recipes in the below photo are Japanese Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Cucumber and Potato Salad — an unusual combo, but it works!
What to Serve With Three-Bean Salad
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Modern Three-Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm (drained)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup cooked, cooled spelt or farro (see above or package directions)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Rinse the hearts of palm and cut them into 1/2–inch slices. In a large serving bowl, mix together the hearts of palm, kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, and cooked spelt.
- In a small bowl or container, mix together the parsley, basil, thyme, vinegar, olive oil, onion, and salt and pepper. Stir or shake to combine well, then pour the dressing over the bean salad and toss to coat everything well. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
- Make sure to rinse and drain the beans and hearts of palm before adding them to the salad to remove excess sodium from the liquid they were packaged in.
- The modern three-bean salad dressing is quite thick, close to a pesto-ish paste, but it distributes itself perfectly over all of the ingredients when you toss the whole thing together.
- Feel free to add some other fresh vegetables as well, like diced zucchini, tomatoes or avocado, but add those shortly before serving.
Delicious. Wonderful vegan salad