This easy canned green bean salad is a quick vegetable side dish that requires zero cooking, and is perfect for road trips, camping, and power outages.
Do you have strong feelings about canned green beans?
I know there are some canned green bean haters out there, but I have to say, I think they're pretty great.
No, they're not fresh green beans.
And no, a canned green bean salad will never be as crisp and delicious as a fresh green bean salad.
But.
Hear me out.
Canned green beans can be delicious!
And if you're in a spot where fresh vegetables are hard to find, or where you want vegetables but have no refrigeration or electricity, canned green beans can be your friend.
All you need are a few shelf-stable ingredients to make this quick and easy canned green bean salad.
This no-cook salad is perfect for camping trips, road trips, and power outages. Or if you, like me, crave vegetables in the middle of the night, this is a pretty delicious midnight snack.
Looking for more camping recipe ideas? Try these no-cook fish wraps, campfire pizza, campfire lasagna, and smoked fish (kipper) sliders.
What Kind of Canned Green Beans Should I Use?
I've eaten this salad with lots of different types of green beans!
It's good with any type of canned, unseasoned green beans. I like it with French-cut, Italian-style, regular green beans, and wax beans. If you prefer, the low-sodium beans will also work well.
Avoid using canned four-bean salad, which usually has seasoning added.
Making the Salad Dressing
To make the salad dressing, simply whisk together a little oil, vinegar, and mustard.
If you're traveling without a whisk, simply use a fork (or spork). I travel with a titanium spork.
If you prefer a sweeter dressing, add a little honey (or use honey mustard).
If you're using low-sodium green beans, add a pinch of salt to the dressing.
How to Make Canned Green Bean Salad
Next, all you have to do is drain the can of beans, and then add the beans and a few sliced almonds to the dressing. Toss it all together.
Serve the salad right away, and enjoy this easy veggie side dish!
Canned Green Bean Salad
Equipment
- can opener (if cans aren't pop-top)
- forks
- bowls (for mixing salad + serving)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons mustard (yellow, Dijon, or honey) Or use 1 tablespoon for a bolder dressing
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (apple cider, white wine, or rice)
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
- 14 ounce can green beans (any variety, unseasoned)
- 2 tablespoons almond slivers Or swap sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Mix together the oil, mustard, vinegar and honey (if using).
- Drain the liquid from the green beans. Add the green beans and almonds into a bowl with the dressing, and toss to incorporate the dressing.Divide among two bowls and serve.
Meg | Meg is Well says
So resourceful! This would be perfect for an emergency food stash.
champagne-tastes says
Definitely!!
sharon says
Thank you. I am a truck driver battling obesity, I have no refrigerator or cooking appliances on my truck yet. I am going to try the green bean salad.
Sarah Trenalone says
I hope this helps!!
Pam says
I made the green bean salads it added finely diced Bermuda onion and one slice cooked bacon crumbled,used honey mustard and added a bit of sugar and seasoned salt. Chilled about an hour, then ate it with tequila lime wings& mustard potato salad. It was superb. Thanks for the recipe.
Alisha Trenalone says
Glad you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for letting us know.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating! says
I made this when our power was out and it was AMAZING! Thank you!
champagne-tastes says
Haha- I'm not above eating them from the can! This just tastes better!
Amanda says
I eat a mostly vegan diet with minimal meat. My family are all about meat so this is a quick salad for me to make. I added a bit of garlic powder, spicy mustard, olive oil, vinegar and pepper. So yummy.
Alisha Trenalone says
Great! Glad it worked out so well for you, and thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Kelli Ann Schultz says
Thank you. As a vegan who cannot eat raw vegetables or soy due to a thyroid condition and IBD, this little recipe has big taste. I used Good Seasons Italian with olive oil and apple cider vinegar with a squirt of honey and added dried onion flakes. It was great.
Alisha Trenalone says
So glad this one helped you out!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Alisha Trenalone says
I needed a super-quick, easy-to-transport side dish for a picnic lunch, and this was perfect. Hardly any prep! And it was yummy too.
Disclaimer: I am an employee of Champagne Tastes, but made this recipe on my own time and opinions are my own!
LINDA says
To the greenbeans and inaddition to the slivered almonds I added garlic powder, onion powder, yellow mustard, honey, Maple Smokehouse, & Provence seasonings. This was the perfect side dish for my crockpot chicken & spagetti which I transported for a friend's birthday lunch. I may add a bit of smoked paprika next time I make it. Thanks SO much for this recipe!
Alisha Trenalone says
Wow, you went all out! Glad you enjoyed.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes