3 Bean Salad

I like to cook simple and easy, nutritious, wholesome meals. Leafy salads are one of my favorites, but they lack protein. Today's Three Bean Salad has both veggies and protein rich beans. I have used white and red beans. You can make it more colorful by adding black beans, pinto beans and so on. Hope you like this easy, flavorful salad.

Ingredients:
Green Beans/French Beans - about 2 cups
Dry White Beans - 1/4 cup
Dry Red Kidney Beans/Rajma - 1/4 cup
Red Onions (finely chopped) - about 1/2 cup
Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Spicy Brown Mustard - 1 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

How to make Three Bean Salad:

• Soak dry white beans and red beans in plenty of water overnight. Cook them in about 5 cups water in a pot until soft. Add salt and bring it to a boil.  Drain all the water. Save the cooked beans for later.
• Use any dry beans of your choice. Canned beans work fine too.
• Set aside a bowl of ice cold water to add the cooked beans.
• Dice the green beans into bite size pieces. Heat 6 - 8 cups water in a big pot. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and diced green beans. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon add the cooked green beans to the bowl of ice cold water. This will stop further cooking of the green beans. Drain all the water of the green beans.
• In a big mixing bowl, prepare the dressing/vinaigrette. Add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, spicy brown mustard, fresh ground black pepper and salt. Mix it well. Add finely chopped red onions and stir again.  Finally, add cooked white beans, red beans and green beans. Mix again. Taste for salt and other seasonings.
• Instead of red onion, you can use shallots or spring onions as well.
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or longer, so that all the flavors blend well.

Serve 3 Bean Salad as a side dish with your meals.