Not Your Mama’s Four-Bean Salad

Sweet rice. Hot fried chicken. Jambalaya. Squash patties. Potato salad.

Those are all foods that my mom makes that are my favorite. The list is much, much longer though. Trash cake, Francine salad, cherry pie, gumbo, chicken fried steak…like I said, it’s a pretty long list.

I’m sure I get my culinary traits from my mom. We both love coconut. Chinese food is a must. We can’t go a meal without throwing in an onion for good measure. Garlic is something to bow down to.

I owe all of my cooking skills to my mom. Without her making homemade meals my entire life, I don’t know that I would’ve grown up to be so interested in cooking. Both her and my grandmother taught me everything I know.

I owe this blog, and everything I know in the kitchen, to her.

We now live worlds apart…well, not really, but it feels that way sometimes. I sent her a ginormous bouquet for Mother’s Day, but I would’ve given anything to deliver it to her in person. So, celebrate your mom tomorrow…especially if you live nearby her. Some of us aren’t so lucky.

On a less sappy note, Mother’s Day always reminds me of old school home-cooking. You know, like fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and recipes that have been passed down for years. If there’s one old-timey recipe that induces that feeling of nostalgia, it’s the classic three-bean salad.

I’ve actually only ever had it once. It was the delicious version that Rudy’s BBQ makes—and I instantly fell in love. Rob’s dad is in town this weekend, so I am planning to make a Mississippi pot roast & potatoes for dinner tonight. Hey! The perfect opportunity to make a bean salad. You’ve gotta have something sort of green to eat for dinner, duh.

This salad has FOUR beans instead of three, and it’s gosh dang delicious. I like tangy & sweet salads like this one, and it definitely hits that mark. This salad is perfect for a lunch or brunch…and perfect to eat this weekend!

So, to all you rockin’ moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

Not Your Mama's Four-Bean Salad

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 3 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A tangy bean salad made with green, wax, garbanzo, and kidney beans.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salad vinegar (or plain white vinegar)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (16oz) can cut green beans, drained
• 1 (15.5oz) can Garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (16oz) can wax beans, drained

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, oil, onion and green pepper. Mix well.
2. Drain all of the beans and add to the dressing in the bowl. Toss gently and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Chop onion and bell pepper and add to a large bowl.

Stir in vinegar, sugar and oil. Mix well.

Drain all beans and add to the marinade mixture. Toss gently and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.