I don’t always like to limit myself, but three is a nice number.  The good thing about three bean salad is that it almost always starts with a can, which is so non threatening–who doesn’t have time to open a can.  If you get weak between step one (opening the can) and making the vinaigrette, there is nothing wrong with just eating the one kind of beans with a little bit of your dressing, a few leaves of lettuce, slivers of goat cheese and some toasted nuts.  OTHERWISE, open a few cans of beans–try pink beans and cannellini.  Rinse them really well and drain.  Set aside.  Bring a few inches of water to the boil, give it a spill of olive oil and a dash of salt.  Pinch the stem end from about a pound of squeaky fresh green beans let them simmer for about 3 minutes.  You want them to have some snap.  Lift them from the water into a colander.  Add about 4 or 5 eggs to the water, and let them simmer for 6 minutes.  Remove.  Seed and chop a deep red tomato.  For the vinaigrette:  Finely chop a shallot.  Chop a few tablespoons of fresh parsley.  Pull off the leaves from a few thyme springs.  Add a half teaspoon of dijon mustard (or a little more if you love it), some salt, freshly ground pepper, and a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar.  Whisk in a lovely olive oil, until the vinegar is no longer overpowering the olive oil, but it’s still fighting.  For something like a bean salad, you want to err on the side of zippy.

Toss everything together but the egg.  Let it marinate for half an hour, if you have the time. Adjust for salt and pepper.  You might need a little fresh lemon juice.  Arrange on a letter over a few arugula leaves and arrange the eggs (quartered) on top.