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Dense bean salads are a hearty dish that contains beans tossed with other delicious ingredients like veggies, meats and cheeses. These recipes are perfect for prepping in a large batch and letting the flavors marinate, only getting more flavorful throughout the week. Try options like our Chickpea, Beet & Feta Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette or our Spicy Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Green Salad as part of a healthy and satisfying meal.
Crunchy Chickpea-Cabbage Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
This chickpea-cabbage salad features carrots and cucumbers, giving it a quartet of ingredients that all begin with the letter “C”! This chopped salad is loaded with fiber and prebiotic chickpeas, promoting a healthy gut. Green cabbage keeps the color vibrant and fresh, though red cabbage works just as well.
Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst
This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner. We love the grassy flavor of dill, but another fresh herb like oregano, parsley or chives will work well in its place.
Spicy Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Green Salad
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman
This black-eyed pea and collard green salad recipe can be served warm or at room temperature, either as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course along with rice or crusty bread. Harissa and peri-peri sauce provide gentle heat, and preserved lemon gives it briny tang.
Chickpea, Beet & Feta Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Addelyn Evans
This chickpea, beet & feta salad is a vibrant blend of flavors and textures, marrying the earthy sweetness of beets with the creamy richness of feta cheese, all tied together with a zesty lemon-garlic dressing. If you have the time, you can roast or steam your own beets or, to keep prep fast and simple, opt for precooked beets found in the produce section of well-stocked grocery stores.
Fiber-Packed Spicy White Bean & Spinach Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
In this light and refreshing salad, we season white beans with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend which features cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and ground black and red pepper. If you prefer a creamier texture, gently mash some of the beans as you stir everything together. The bean salad is served on a bed of lightly dressed spinach that pairs well with the beans, but also grilled chicken or steak kebabs on another night.
Three Bean Salad
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
This three-bean salad is a wonderful addition to any meal. Rich in fiber, folate, iron and potassium, beans complement a heart-healthy diet and are also a great source of plant-based protein and iron for anyone following a vegetarian diet. Bring this colorful, healthy dish to a barbecue, serve it as an appetizer salad or side dish, and even pack it for lunch.
4-Bean Salad with Herbed Tahini Dressing
This vibrant twist on the classic salad uses fresh green beans and nutty, earthy tahini plus a ton of herbs that you can use based on your preference. Tahini can get bitter, but we balance that with a bit of honey. We like the combination of parsley, tarragon and dill for the herbs.
3-Ingredient White Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This three-ingredient lunch takes a packaged salad kit to the next level with the addition of two pantry staples: cherry tomatoes and white beans. The Mediterranean flavor profile works well here, but another mix will be just as simple and satisfying.
Herb Marinated Beans
If you’re an avid meal prepper, consider adding these marinated beans to your weekly routine. They’re very versatile: try a spoonful on a salad, tuck some into a wrap or warm them up to spoon over a grain bowl. It’s worth letting the beans marinate for at least 24 hours to infuse them with deeper flavor. The olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator—just let the beans stand at room temp for an hour and stir before serving.
Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers
This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it’s great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. Double the recipe and refrigerate to have on hand throughout the week.
Sichuan Fava Bean, Pea Sprout & Radish Salad
This fresh and spicy salad features fava beans, which besides adding heft to this radish salad are a main ingredient in the iconic chili bean paste of Sichuan province. Look for frozen favas with Hispanic foods or in the freezer section in your supermarket. If you want an even more substantial salad, just double the sauce and add cooked sweet potato glass noodles.
Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
In this chickpea, cucumber, tomato and Swiss cheese salad, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing
This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
Italian White Bean Salad
This Italian white bean salad is healthy and delicious. The capers and rosemary-lemon dressing add wonderful flavor to the cannellini beans and chopped tomato.
Couscous & Chickpea Salad
Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.
No-Cook Black Bean Salad
The dressing for this vegan black bean salad gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
Bean Salad with Lemon-Cumin Dressing
The bold flavors of the lemon-cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe make it a wonderful side dish to grilled beef and lamb, yet it’s also a stellar meatless main when served with whole-wheat couscous.
Super-Green Edamame Salad
Avocado, fresh chives and spinach are blended right into the creamy, bright-green dressing in this healthy edamame salad recipe. Pink beans are popular in the Caribbean, but you can substitute pinto beans or light red kidney beans if you can’t find them.
Better Three-Bean Salad
Traditional three-bean salad gets a healthy, fresh spin with the addition of black soybeans, snap peas and a tarragon-infused dressing. Find black soybeans near other canned beans; they’re a sweeter, creamier relative of the green ones you’re probably familiar with.