I’m a big fan of cold salads in the summertime — especially pasta salad. I love prepping a big bowl with lots of fresh vegetables, and drizzling it with a sweet and tangy dressing. It’s refreshing, tasty, and incredibly easy during those simmering hot summer days. Especially when turning on my stove or oven is the last thing I want to do in the heat!
I’m always on the hunt for new summer recipes, so when I came across a salad from the country-singing queen Dolly Parton, I had to give it a try. I found the recipe via a video from the YouTube channel Journey with the Kellers, and after watching how easy this salad (made with three cans of beans!) is to throw together, I decided to whip it up myself to see if Dolly has another winning recipe on her hands. Here’s what I thought.
How to Make Dolly Parton’s 3-Bean Salad
Strain a can of kidney beans, a can of green beans, and a can of wax beans in a colander. Rinse the beans thoroughly. In a small bowl, whisk together Italian dressing, sugar, and minced garlic. In a large bowl, mix together the rinsed beans with chopped green onions and parsley. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then mix until everything is combined. Place in the refrigerator overnight, and then enjoy!
When I put this salad together before refrigerating it overnight, I couldn’t help but marvel at how easy it was to make. Sure, salads are relatively straightforward; chop and prepare your foods, toss them together in a bowl with dressing, and your meal is served. But after a mere 15 minutes of prep, this salad was already ready for the fridge, and who doesn’t love an easy-to-put-together recipe?
The next day, when I took this salad out of the fridge and popped open the lid, I was instantly satisfied by its aroma. It had that tangy bite from the dressing with hints of freshly minced garlic. As for the taste? I’m telling you right now, this salad did not disappoint. I am pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it, especially how the dressing marinated into the beans and took away any of that sharp, pickled taste you might associate with canned green beans. As soon as I took a bite, I instantly scooped more into a big bowl and ate it for lunch.
My only note about this salad is that I think it calls for too much dressing. I halved the amount that was used and found it to be perfect.
Needless to say, I would happily make this salad again. I’d even make it for lunches all summer long!
