If you’re planning one or two get-togethers this summer, you’re not alone. Research suggests that on average, Americans host more than seven parties a year, each. It’s not surprising: nothing beats reuniting with friends, sharing a drink, and indulging in some food, especially when the weather is glorious outside. If it’s your turn to host soon, and you’re wondering what food to give your guests, we’ve got you. Okay, actually, Dolly Parton has got you.
Yep, the country music star adores cooking (“My food is not pretty, but it’s good. I’m still one of those people that really can cook, like the old days,” she once told Wired.). So, as well as her impressive back catalog of musical hits, she also has a whole repertoire of recipes ready to go. Some of these will be shared in her upcoming cookbook, Good Lookin’ Cookin’, which is set to be released in September. But some of her favorite recipes can also be found in another cookbook, released back in 1989, called Dollywood Presents: Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking.
The pink spiral-bound cookbook, inspired by Parton and put together by the team at Dollywood (the country singer’s theme park), is currently available on Amazon for $143.91—yes, you read that correctly. But luckily, some who already own the vintage classic have been making and posting the recipes from it on social media. Amanda Keller from the YouTube account Journey With The Kellers, for example, recently posted a recipe for a three-bean salad from the cookbook, and we have to say, it looks delicious. In fact, it might just be the crowd-pleasing summer party side dish you’ve been looking for.
How to Make Dolly Parton’s three-bean salad recipe
Parton is known for her love of traditional Southern recipes, and according to Epicurious, the Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking cookbook is full of them, many of which are laden with animal products. There are instructions for how to make biscuits, coleslaw, banana pudding, and chicken and dumplings, many of which come straight from the singer herself, as well as the team from Dollywood. “Tennessee Mountain Home Cooking captures a feeling and moment in time among the people who worked at Dollywood circa 1989,” reports Epicurious.
But there are also some plant-based recipes, too. Parton’s three-bean salad recipe—which you can find out exactly how to make on the Keller’s YouTube account here—is simple and nourishing. Kiersten Hickman, a food and nutrition writer for The Kitchn, also made the recipe by following Keller and noted she was “pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.” She added: “As soon as I took a bite, I instantly scooped more into a big bowl and ate it for lunch.”
The salad is simple. It involves mixing together three types of beans (of course), which are kidney beans, green beans, and yellow wax beans, before adding green onions and parsley to the mix. In a separate jug, Italian dressing, sugar, and garlic are mixed together, before being poured over the salad. Then, the whole salad is refrigerated overnight before being ready to serve.
So not only is Parton’s salad packed with nutrient-dense ingredients—follow our guide to beans to find out more about why you shouldn’t underestimate this protein-packed powerhouse food—but it’s also incredibly easy to make and tasty, too. What’s not to love?
Kiersten Hickman
Dolly Parton has cookware, too
If you’re cooking a vegan spread for your summer party guests, you can totally Dolly-ify your kitchen by investing in the singer’s new cast-iron cookware collection, too. Earlier this year, the country music legend teamed up with Tennessee cookware brand Lodge to launch her own range of affordable pans—each of which is inspired by Parton herself. There’s even a guitar-shaped mini skillet.
“Home is as much a state of mind as it is a place for me. I am excited to share these new kitchenware collections inspired by my childhood memories,” Parton told The Tennessean about the new range. “While we didn’t have much that money could buy growing up, spending time with family over a meal created priceless moments that have lasted me a lifetime.”
Lodge
As well as the mini skillet, there’s also a pan inspired by Parton’s hit song “I Will Always Love You,” as well as a pan inspired by the Smoky Mountains, and another “Love Is Like a Butterfly” skillet, too. “It is my hope that these products will be a part of wonderful memories for you,” said Parton. Find out more about the collection here.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
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