There is something about three bean salads that makes me smile.  Perhaps it is the colors…

or the texture – crunchy, yet smushy,

or the slight sweetness,

or maybe it is the memory it evokes … When I was in college, I bicycled from Allentown to Lancaster, PA (about 70 miles) on the first day of what was to be a 3 day trip. When I arrived in Lancaster, after a beautiful ride through farmland, I stopped at a store to get food for dinner before getting to my B&B.  What did I get? Amish Three Bean Salad. Yes, I ate an entire jar! My body was hungry and it made it very happy.

Regardless of whichever reason was making me smile, it was time to turn my purple beans into a three bean salad. Enjoy!

Three Bean Salad

Slightly adapted from Jeff Mauro

Kosher salt

8 ounces “green” beans, washed and cut in half (purple beans from the garden)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 shallot, minced

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Set up a large bowl of ice water. Add the “green” beans to the pot and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and plunge the beans into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the beans.

Whisk the vinegar, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Whisk in the oil until emulsified.

Add the shallots and mix well.

Add the green beans, cannellini beans and kidney beans to the bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, serve and enjoy!