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?
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!
I was hesitant to try this recipe at first. I just did not think I was going to like it because my go-to bean salad recipe has lots of oil and sugar in it. When I first made it all, I could taste was lemon juice. The following day I tried it and it tasted great with no overpowering lemon juice taste. You’re right it’s better to have it the next day. I added 1 tsp more of the Dijon mustard and some chipotle powder. When I click on your nutritional information link it leads me to a blank page. Could you tell me how many calories are in 1 cup? Thanks