KFC three-bean salad (plus bonus garbanzos).
I miss the KFC three-bean salad they used to serve at the Colonel’s. Luckily, this recipe is a dead ringer. Makes enough for a tailgate party, about 16 servings.
Ingredients:
15.5-oz can kidney beans
15.5-oz can green beans (cross cut not french cut)
15.5-oz can wax beans
1/2 c (or more) garbanzo beans (optional)
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 c chopped white or red onion
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 c sugar*
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 c vegetable oil
Method: Drain kidney beans into a colander and rinse to remove soaking liquid. Drain green beans and wax beans into the same colander. Transfer beans to a non-reactive bowl and add onion and pepper.
Add all dry ingredients to a jar, add vinegar, shake until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add oil, shake to emulsify, pour over bowl ingredients and mix gently with a spoon. Marinate at least 6 hours before serving, preferably overnight.
*I’ve decided my original 1/3 cup of sugar makes it too sweet, and have cut back. Recommend you start with 1/4 cup and add more after tasting if you need it.
This is the real deal and after a day of marinating it tastes the same as the KFC in 1970 bean salad ! Make sure the oil mixed very well and totally dissolve the dry ingredients before pour on as they never break down when added to beans and veg
Good advice, thanks. Also, it’s fine to vary the vegetables as you like (more green pepper or onion, a whole can of garbanzos or no garbanzos etc) but keep the salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar and oil in these measurements for the authentic experience.
BRILLIANT… I have never understood why they stopped selling it in their Australian KFC stores….. does anybody know why?
There is not a good reason, in either hemisphere! Luckily we can make it ourselves with this recipe and eat as much as we want!
I had it often for lunch as I was on the road all day for my job. It was easy to go through the drive through and eat it in my car. I loved it and was gutted when they discontinued it. I think maybe it was too expensive to make or took too long.
I don’t know about harder. Seems to me it’s no harder to make than cole slaw, in fact easier since you don’t have cabbage to chop. But I’m sure actual vegetables, even canned, are more expensive than mashed potatoes or macaroni. I think if you look way back when it was taken off the menu by some hotshot rising corporate executive who just didn’t like three bean salad.
I have the actual recipe
from KFC for the 🫘
salad.
That’s great. If it’s different from ours, please share!