4, 5, 6, 7, Whatever, BEAN SALAD

Bean Salad ingredients

We’re having a party on Saturday night to gather family and friends to welcome my sister and brother to Arizona. After all they came from both coasts–California and Virginia– in the middle of a very hot Arizona summer. The least we can do is rustle up some vittles for a good old barbecue.  Like family favorite Bean Salad.

No summer gathering is complete in my family without my Bean Salad  Five Bean Salad, Four Bean Salad, if you’re lucky even more.  Whatever the bean count, this recipe has never failed me.

One of the most dilapidated–because the most used–of the cookbooks I inherited from my mother’s home ec teaching days holds the recipe for this bean salad, which the contributor made with four beans. I’ve added one more type of bean for a Five-Bean Salad

The spiral-bound Salad Book is a gathering of favorite recipes from home economics teachers across the country.  While there are some very good recipes in this book, I will admit that some of the recipes make me cringe and think, “This person was teaching young girls to COOK?” Various bean salads take up 7 1/2 pages in the book, but this one has always been my favorite. The secret ingredient is tarragon, which lends an indescribable tang.

However, I am on an herb-growing kick, and decided to try some summer savory instead of tarragon. After all, my German ancestors, called this herb the bean herb!

Use whatever canned beans you have on hand. Make it several days ahead of time, because marinating in the fridge just continues to improve the flavor. If you are fortunate enough to have fresh herbs on hand, pay attention to the amounts, as it takes more fresh herbs to equal the flavor of dried.

5 Bean Salad

Serves 12-20
Prep time 10 minutes
Dietary Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Meal type Salad
Misc Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion Casual Party
From book Salads, Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers 1950's
My 5-Bean salad comes from a 4-bean salad recipe in a vintage spiral-bound cookbook of home economics teachers' favorite recipes.

Ingredients

  • 5 cans Beans (Drained. Suggested beans: wax beans, green beans, garbanzos, kidney beans, black beans)
  • 1 green pepper (Sliced thinly in rings)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Olive oil not suggested as it solidifies at cold temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (Seasoned salt if you wish)
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley (or 1/4 Cup fresh parsley diced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves (Or 1 T fresh summer savory leaves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves (Or 1 T fresh basil leaves)

Optional

  • 1 onion (Mild. Sliced thinly)

Directions

Vegetables
1. Drain beans, and rinse black beans and kidney beans. Dump in very large bowl.
2. Add sliced green peppers and sliced onions (if you use them). Red Bell peppers make a nice presentation, or use both red and green.
3. Stir together all remaining ingredients until dry mustard is well dissolved. Pour over vegetables. Cover and refrigerate a day or more before serving.

Note

I called this one 5- Bean Salad but feel free to use what you have on hand. Italian green beans, pinto beans, navy beans, white beans--anything goes. The important thing is the tasty dressing and the marination time for the bean salad.

 

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One thought on “4, 5, 6, 7, Whatever, BEAN SALAD

  1. Michelle Taggart

    This made my mouth water! I absolutely love bean salad, and we ate it frequently at our house, but it doesn’t seem like it appears at potlucks like it use to. Thanks for the reminder!

    Reply

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