Toss Bean Salad In This Creamy Dressing For A Sweet And Tangy Flavor

Bean salad was not a dish I grew up eating, in fact, the only times I caught a glimpse of it was when my family would go out to eat at a place that had salad bars (like Wendy's). The vat of bean salad seemed to sit lonely and untouched near the sunflower seeds and salad dressings. It wasn't until I married my husband that I gave it a second thought, because he told me he liked it. It turns out, there are dozens of ways to make bean salad (often referred to as "three bean salad"). They typically involve several types of canned beans, plus various mix-ins, and a sweet and tangy dressing that usually resembles some sort of vinaigrette. As it turns out, honey mustard dressing is absolutely perfect for mixing into bean salad.

As you can imagine, bean salad has a very creamy texture due to the abundance of cooked beans in it. Popular types are kidney, garbanzo, and cannellini beans, but many recipes use green beans as well. The potentially pasty texture is rounded out by the inclusion of some type of crunchy veggie, such as chopped bell pepper, onion, and celery. But I think it's the sharp tang of an acidic and sweet dressing that makes the salad so pleasant; it cuts through any unpleasant heaviness with ease. With honey mustard dressing (which has an amazingly long history), you have the combination of tangy Dijon mustard, plus an acid like lemon juice or vinegar, and the sweetness of honey all bound together with fruity olive oil.

Bean salad may be a vintage summer dish that we just don't see a lot of anymore, but I think it deserves another shot at our tables, especially when made with honey mustard dressing. Though using canned beans is considered by many to be the "classic" style, you can use summer-fresh beans to make bean salad, as well. One of my favorite summer recipes comes from Tyler Florence's 2005 cookbook, "Eat This Book." He blanches fresh sugar snap peas, green beans, and yellow wax beans, and tosses them with shallot, toasted walnuts, and a creamy lemon dressing that includes sour cream and whole grain mustard. I could easily envision this salad tossed with honey mustard dressing instead and being just as delicious.

Unlike classic bean salad, this one is delightfully crunchy and fresh. You could also combine fresh beans with canned beans for a unique spin on the dish. This is just one reason why you should always have canned beans in your pantry. Bean salad works well with cooked bacon, tangy cheese (feta is a good choice), fresh herbs, and grains like farro, quinoa, or bulgur. Any of these additions would taste great with honey mustard dressing, with the grains able to deliciously soak up the vinaigrette.