Marinated Three Bean Salad

Happy #NationalPicnicDay! Fingers crossed, it looks like New England may have finally turned the corner into spring.  There's nothing we love doing on a nice day more than packing a lunch, hopping in the car, and finding a spot for a picnic.  

Standard fare in the past has been PB&J sandwiches, chips, cookies, maybe some fruit.   I've been trying to expand the variety of food I've been eating, and incorporate more vegetables into my diet, so when I saw this Marinated Three Bean Salad, I knew I had to give it a try.

I only made a few small changes. I used low sodium black beans, and I had heirloom mini tomatoes on hand.   I rarely have fresh herbs, but made a point to go out and buy as many as I could find for this. I loved all the colors and textures.   It gets better as it sits, and though it suggests four hours, I thought it was even better the next day.

Thanks so much to Ellen from Family Around the Table for hosting, and to all the other #FestiveFoodies.  I'll definitely be stepping up my game when it comes to packing picnic lunches this year because of all their great recipes!

Marinated Three Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 15 1/2oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained, I used low sodium
• 1 medium tomato, I used heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/3 cup sweet red, yellow and orange bell pepper
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 Tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2t dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the beans, tomato, onion, celery, and peppers.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients; gently stir into bean mixture.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/marinated-three-bean-salad

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