One of my favourite things to do is recreate a dish or meal that I’ve enjoyed at a restaurant or purchased in a store.
I’ve recreated the Detox salad and Layered Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing from Whole Foods, the Adzuki Bean & Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad and Pink Flamingo Smoothie from Fresh restaurant, Endurance Crackers from Chocolatree Café, and the Layered Raw Taco Salad from The Naked Sprout, to name just a few.
This time, I had my sights set on a Fontaine Santé Three-Bean Salad.
In addition to hummus that rocks my face off, Fontaine Santé also makes hearty salads – and many of them are vegan. You can find these pre-made salads at Costco and various grocery stores in the refrigerator section (however, I’m not sure if they are sold in the US?). Sometimes when I’m in a crunch for dinner, I pick one up and pair it with a simple salad.
A peek inside…
It tastes better than it looks…I swear. Am I the only one who loves mushy bean salads?
Well, have no fear this version is bursting with fresh, crisp vegetables. My version has the same ingredients (with the addition of jalapeno), but the nutrition stats turned out quite a bit better with half the fat and calories per serving. Another advantage of preparing food at home – it’s often healthier without even trying. This recipe has more bite from the lemon, Dijon, and apple cider vinegar, but I countered the acidity with a bit of pure maple syrup. It’s also a better bang for your buck and you can save even more money if you make the beans from scratch. This recipe makes 5 cups worth, whereas the one I pick up from the grocery store has about three 1/2 cup servings per 350g container (granted, the salads from Costco are much larger and a better deal). Plus, who only eats 1/2 cup of bean salad anyway? Certainly not this girl.
Speedy Three-Bean Salad
Like many bean salads, it tastes better as it sits and is even better the next day once the dressing has mingled with the beans and veggies. If you can make it in advance I suggest doing so. It should keep for at least 3-4 days in an air-tight container or jar, perhaps longer.
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Yield: ~5 cups
for the salad:
- 1 cup chopped green beans, stems removed
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (I use Eden Organic BPA-free), or 1.5 cups cooked
- 1 (15-oz) can Red Kidney Beans (ditto above), or 1.5 cups cooked
- 1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1/3 cup packed fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- Salt & pepper, to taste
for the dressing:
- 8 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons)
- 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1. Add several cups of water into a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Add chopped green beans and blanch for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place into a large bowl.
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas and kidney beans and place into a large bowl along with the green beans, bell pepper, optional jalapeno, parsley, and green onion. Mix.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined. Adjust to taste if needed.
4. Pour on dressing over salad and mix well. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Season with salt and pepper and adjust dressing to taste. Salad will taste even better the next day. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
For nutritional info, see here.
Next on my list? The 3-Lentil Cranberry Salad. Quite possibly my all-time fav.
What do you think I should add to my “recreate” recipe list?
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
This recipe is fantastic and very easy to make! For those who are interested in a variation, I added a diced navel orange to the recipe and think it really compliments the flavors well (I got the idea because at first I thought the yellow pepper in the picture was an orange).
Thank you for posting another great recipe!
Hi
Just made you salad recipie . It is delicious the vinaigrette is amazing I omited the maple syrup because I have a sugar intolerance but the rest I did as recipie. Was amazing. It was my daughter Sara who shared this website and so far love your recipies. Simple but good. Keep up the good work.
We love love LOVE Fontaine Sante 3 bean salad. When my 6 year old takes it for lunch he takes more than half of that container..I’ve tried to recreate it at home but have been unsuccessful. Can’t wait to try your recipe..so excited I can do this at home now! I also love their couscous!
Made this for dinner tonight, just used different beans and added cherry tomatoes yum thanks:)
good recepes
Oh goodness! I made this recipe yesterday and it is fantastic! The dressing is really bright and flavorful and I love the three beans chosen, with the addition of orange bell pepper. I added half of a jalapeno, sans seeds, which was the perfect amount of subtle heat for this dish. I can see myself whipping up batches of this every weekend to enjoy as lunches during the week. Thanks for the recipe!
not sure how speedy it is…still took me 30 minutes to prep. came out pretty good if a tiny bit bland…may add cilantro next time. also, the amount of dressing was a bit much until i added almost a whole bag of [defrosted] shelled edamame beans.
Just made this and am eating it right out of the bowl very happily! So delish. My sister and I used to eat three bean salad all the time after the farmer’s market with fresh goat cheese. I don’t even miss it!
How did you store this in the fridge so that the juice is evenly distributed among the bean mix? I found an airtight glass jar but all the juice is at the bottom.
You don’t. Just mix it before serving.
i love this recipe , now i won’t have to go to Costco
Hey angela, this dinner was delicious! LOVE 3 bean salad and this was a fantastic rendition w/ the mustard and jalapeno. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!
This salad is excellent. I made it for a picnic and it was well liked. I thought I would find the dressing too lemony, but it was just right.
This is probably one of the best three beans salads I have ever had, Really quick and simple too. Sometimes I am tempted to pick up some pre-made at the grocery store and then I think that I will be disappointed when I get home as it will not be as healthy and tasty as this recipe so I always end up making my own and I am so glad I do! Definite keeper:)
I’ve made this salad on multiple occasions and it is DELICIOUS! The dressing has just enough tang. I love it! Also, I’ve tried with and without jalapeños and thought they were both delicious.
Hi i just stumbled upon your website while looking for fontaine sante copycat recipes… Have you made the copycat 3 lentil and cranberry salad? Im looking for that recipe. P.s. i can’t wait to try out this bean salad recipe.
This is one of my favorite salads, I make it all the time and it is great for cookouts! My friends and family love it as well. I can’t even enjoy the store bought salads anymore. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hah! I love the Fontaine Sante three-bean salad, but it’s pricy for what amounts to a bunch of beans – definitely bookmarking this for next time it’s cookout night!
Does this freeze well? It would be great to be able to make a big batch for make ahead lunches
I made this for July 4th, and everyone loved it. It was the first dish gone, and I made a double batch! Thank you! :)
Check out my latest blog about your tasty 3 bean salad! http://thehypothyroidismchick.com/2015/09/01/3-healthy-3-bean-salads-from-my-3-of-my-favorite-bloggers/
i am a health care practitioner being introduced to functional medicine and wishing there was a way to become certified. My practice is allopathic; but, I do incorporate a good bit of dietary advice and supplement guidance to my patients. It’s terrible watching people spiral down the “sick” vortex and not having all the tools at my fingertips to use to bring them out.
New to vegan and gluten free lifestyle myself but feeling amazing in 3 months. Haven’t tried these recipes yet, but Sunday is my kitchen day and I will be trying several of these. I do all of my cooking on Sunday for. Rey busy work weeks.
These all look appealing and husband friendly. Except for tofu and green beans, all else are on his tried and approved list (and he WAS a hard-core Atkin’s guy)! He was sure he would die if he had to eat like this. Forks over knives and Sick, fat, and nearly dead videos helped me move him off the fence.
Except for tofu (jury is still out on that one) all ingredients are on my approved list. Lots on new ideas to shake my boredom tree. Thank you for these and REALLY thank you for the chocolate treats. I’ve been missing those and love to have a little in the evening for the anti-oxidant value and to smother my sweet tooth.
Loving the new lifestyle and the body that comes with it. No afternoon crash and burn from processed and refined sugar contents… just steady, wonderful energy all day and much better sleep quality. Already have had about 90% fewer migraines. Feeling depression slip away. Buying more dietary supplements than prescriptions these days. Cost benefit analysis… insurance doesn’t cover cost of healthy eating; but, I haven’t been “sick” in over one year so it is a net gain in my estimation. No substitute for feeling good everyday, not needing naps to get through the day, and 70 pounds lighter in a little over one year. Still have 20 pounds to go. It’s slow and sometimes frustrating; but, gradually coming down. Admittedly, I had to have some extra skin removed and a little bit of lipo for breast reduction. Bonus…. stem cells are banked in the event of some un-Godly event.
Working on my own substitution list for gluten free which simply feels better. All along, I thought it was higher carbs causing my brain fog. It was gluten causing the neurological derailment that left me with a complete inability to process words that others spoke for hours after contact with gluten. Perhaps the fog was due to a little bit of both.
I have corrected all nutritional deficiencies identified through blood work. I am now “optimal”; not “deficient” or “normal”. I still have some inflammation going and a little hormone imbalance going on. I expect that will come down gradually as well.
Thanks again for the new ideas.
Marie
Hi I love the opportunity to be able to make a difference between these two life long learning about food good and bad for me I have been on the same thing and I am doing great with my new eating habits most days and I have lost 30lbs so far and I am going for the next 30+ to help me to walk better and feal better to I love vegan food to eat and I feel better to .this is the first time I have been on this site so I will be back on soon keep going with new ones too
I made this salad to go with one of your veggie burgers last night, and oh my goodness. It is SO GOOD. I will officially be making this for every summer party ever. Thank you!
Hey Jenny, I’m so happy you love it! I agree that it’s such a good summer bean salad option. Easy too. :) Enjoy!