This Mediterranean-inspired dense bean salad recipe is filled with beans, artichokes, and olives in an herby French dressing. It’s nice for meal prep and shops all week for wholesome lunches or as a aspect dish!
Once I noticed “dense bean salad” trending on TikTok, my first thought was wait, this has a reputation now? It’s mainly a protein-packed bean salad with out lettuce, which after all individuals have been consuming for years. However due to Violet Witchel, it’s now a “trending” solution to eat a great deal of wholesome elements (which is actually admirable: hats off, Violet!).
My spin on this idea leans totally into the Mediterranean vibe, the place individuals have been consuming bean salads for generations. I exploit two sorts of beans, artichoke hearts, cucumber, olives, and an herby French dressing infuses all the things with savory taste. It’s good for lunches and I find it irresistible additionally with a easy protein for a simple wholesome dinner!
Why You’ll Love This Dense Bean Salad
- Meal-prep pleasant: It will get higher because it sits, making it good for lunches all through the week.
- No cooking required: Simply heat up the French dressing, reduce the veggies and also you’re accomplished!
- Full of plant-based protein: The beans give it protein, and you’ll add much more protein in the event you like. It’s additionally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free!
What Is a Dense Bean Salad?
The time period “dense bean salad” went viral due to Violet Witchel on TikTok. She used it to explain a bean salad that’s hearty sufficient to function a whole meal. The phrase “dense” refers to all of the protein-packed elements like beans and crunchy greens, versus a lightweight and fluffy inexperienced salad.
In fact, this idea isn’t new. Residence cooks in Mediterranean international locations (Greece, Turkey, and so on) have been making these sorts of salads for years. I had some wonderful bean salads after I visited Santorini, Greece years in the past. Big props to Violet for taking this concept and making it really feel recent and enjoyable!
Components You Want
Right here’s what I wish to put in my dense bean salad and some notes about every:
- Kidney beans and butter beans: I like utilizing two varieties. You should utilize any varieties you want however I like the colour and texture distinction of the crimson with the big white beans.
- Artichoke hearts: This ingredient takes the salad from “good” to “nice.” Use canned artichoke hearts (keep away from the marinated form) so as to add a pop of tangy, briny taste.
- Delicate inexperienced olives: I like Castelvetrano olives as a result of they’re buttery and gentle, however you should utilize any sort of ripe inexperienced olive.
- Crimson bell pepper and English cucumber: These add a pleasant crunchy texture.
- Contemporary mint or dill: The herbs make the flavour! I like to make use of recent mint from my backyard, however dill additionally works. You can also substitute parsley because it’s
- The nice and cozy French dressing: You’ll heat the olive oil, white wine vinegar with garlic and spices to bloom them so that they launch their flavors sooner. Whenever you pour it heat over the salad, the beans take up all that taste!
Suggestions For Making Dense Bean Salad
OK that is such a dump and stir methodology that there’s not much more to share. However listed below are just a few fast suggestions:
- In the event you’re not a chopping professional, reference my knife abilities movies. This information to How you can Lower a Bell Pepper is especially useful.
- Don’t skip the 30-minute marinating time. You’ll be able to truly eat it immediately and it tastes nice. However after half-hour the nice and cozy French dressing infuses a lot extra taste.
- Style and regulate. Style and regulate the seasoning earlier than serving. You’ll be able to tweak the flavors to regulate to your liking, like extra spices or perhaps a pinch extra salt.
A Few Variations
- Add feta cheese for a salty distinction. You’ll be able to crumble it over proper earlier than serving. Nevertheless, the olives and artichoke hearts carry a lot taste, you don’t even want cheese right here!
- Swap the vinegar. Crimson wine vinegar works nicely rather than white wine vinegar.
- Use recent tomatoes as an alternative of crimson pepper (my mother has an allergy, so I’m at all times adjusting right here!). You may also go away it out if desired, I identical to the crimson colour.
- Attempt chickpeas rather than one of many bean varieties, like in my Mediterranean chickpea salad.
- Make it spicy by including a pinch of crushed crimson pepper flakes within the French dressing.
Methods To Serve Dense Bean Salad
This salad is filling sufficient to face alone as lunch. But it surely’s additionally nice:
- Alonside grilled salmon or grilled rooster thighs
- As a aspect for air fryer rooster breast, air fryer salmon, or air fryer tofu
- With heat pita bread or multigrain bread, for lunch
- Extra salads like a cucumber salad or celery salad for a full salad unfold
- On toast with whipped ricotta or whipped tofu
Storage
You’ll be able to retailer this dense bean salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. The flavors truly deepen and enhance over time. The sort of salad shouldn’t be meant for freezing, so please don’t try that! Give it a stir earlier than serving.
Dietary Notes
This dense bean salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and Mediterranean weight-reduction plan pleasant.
Simple Dense Bean Salad
This Mediterranean-inspired dense bean salad recipe is filled with hearty beans, artichoke hearts, and olives in an herby French dressing. It’s nice for meal prep and shops all week for wholesome lunches or as a aspect dish!
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Whole Time: quarter-hour
- Yield: 4 to six 1x
- Class: Lunch, Salad, Facet Dish
- Technique: No Cook dinner
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Weight-reduction plan: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Weight-reduction plan, Vegan, Vegetarian
Components
- One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- One 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (not marinated)
- ¼ cup minced crimson onion
- 1 crimson bell pepper, diced (or sliced cherry tomatoes)
- ½ English cucumber, diced
- ½ cup gentle inexperienced olives (similar to Castelvetrano), halved
- ¼ cup roughly chopped recent mint or dill (or parsley)
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
Directions
- In a big bowl, mix the kidney beans, butter beans, artichoke hearts, crimson onion, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, and recent mint or dill. Toss gently to combine.
- In a small saucepan, mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, kosher salt, and some grinds of black pepper. Convey to a mild simmer over medium-low warmth, then instantly take away from the warmth.
- Pour the nice and cozy French dressing over the greens and beans and toss to coat. Let the salad marinate at room temperature for a minimum of half-hour earlier than serving. Style and regulate salt and pepper as wanted. Shops as much as 5 days refrigerated.
Notes
- Adders and swaps: You’ll be able to add feta cheese crumbles so as to add extra protein. Cherry tomatoes work rather than the bell pepper if desired. You may also swap crimson wine vinegar for white wine vinegar and use every other herbs you want – the extra the higher! Lemon juice can be good for brightness although I like vinegar right here.
