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.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Speedy Three-Bean Salad
Yield
5 cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
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.
Ingredients
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
Directions
- 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.
- 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.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined. Adjust to taste if needed.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
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?
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/