I have been on a big bean salad kick recently. Things aren’t helped by the massive, delicious, and healthy selection of bean salads offered by Marks & Spencer next door… it seems every day I find an excuse to get my bean salad lunch from there, rather than making one of my own.

Bean salads aren’t difficult to make, though. They’re also enormously healthy, filling, and easy to adapt. Here’s the first bean salad I came up with to satisfy my craving, and it still does the trick. I should really make this more often.

For the cans below, use 14.5-ounce or 410-gram cans.

Makes 6 large servings

1 can white beans (try cannellini), rinsed and well drained
1 can red beans (like kidney or borlotti), rinsed and well drained
1 can chick peas, rinsed and well drained
3 celery stalks, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 red onion, diced
Large handful parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the beans, celery, red pepper, onion and parsley in a bowl. Mix gently, scooping from underneath, so as not to break the beans apart. Dress with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix gently once more, then serve.