This Dense Bean Salad keeps you full for hours! Black beans, lentils, veggies, kale, seeds and a creamy, lemony dressing. High Protein, High fiber, anti-inflammatory (17 grams Protein, 14 grams fiber per serving. Gluten-free, Nut-free, option for soy-free)
This is my anti-inflammatory dense bean salad. Dense bean salads have been trending, and they are just amazing hearty meals with tons of beans and so many different combinations of flavors, textures, and veggies that you can add to them.
Beans, along with all of the vegetables and other ingredients in this salad, are a great source of fiber, protein, iron, and zinc.
The whole bowl has 65+ grams or more of protein, 50+ grams of fiber, 20+ milligrams of iron, and loads of vitamin C from the tomatoes, peppers, and lemon to help your body absorb all of that iron. There are omega-3s from the hemp seeds, along with pumpkin seeds, making this an incredibly nutrient-dense meal.
This is a great, budget-friendly, easy-to-put-together salad. There is no cooking involved. You just have to chop everything, make the dressing, toss it all together, and it’s ready. It’s also perfect for meal prep because the flavors enhance as the salad sits. The next day, it’s even more flavorful because the beans absorb all of that delicious dressing.
Serve this dense bean salad with tortilla chips, toasted sourdough or garlic bread, added to wraps or tacos, or served over grains, such as quinoa or farro. There are endless possibilities with this salad!
Why You’ll Love this Dense Bean Salad
- easy, no-cook meal, perfect for hot weather!
- packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, Antioxidants and minerals in every bowl
- Anti-inflammatory ingredients
- creamy lemon yogurt dressing sends the flavor profile over the top
- naturally gluten-free and easy to make nut-free and soy-free
For the Bean Salad
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
- 15 ounce can brown lentils or green lentils, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, chopped small, or more, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, chopped small, or more, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped small
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, or more, to taste
- 2 cups loosely packed chopped kale
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped pumpkin seeds
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Prepare the dense bean salad.
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Rinse and drain the beans and lentils, if you haven’t already. You can also cook both from scratch. See the recipe notes for those instructions.
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Chop all of the vegetables and set them aside. Chop everything into small, similarly-sized pieces, so no one vegetable stands out too much. You want this salad to have an even texture, so chop everything to about the size of the lentils or black beans. Finely chop the kale and cilantro, or whatever herbs you’re using. If you don’t like cilantro, simply leave it out or replace it with another fresh herb, such as parsley. Add the beans, lentils, chopped vegetables, kale, herbs, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl.
Make the creamy dressing.
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In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients except the hot sauce or chili oil. Mix well, then taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, black pepper, heat, or fresh herbs, if needed. Then, drizzle the hot sauce or chili oil over the dressing, and gently swirl it in.
Put it together.
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You can either keep the dressing and salad separate until you’re ready to serve, which works especially well if you’re taking it to a picnic, or pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated right now.
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Taste the finished salad and adjust the seasoning with more salt, spices, herbs, or lemon juice, if needed. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors can meld really well. The salad becomes even more flavorful the next day. Serve with toasted sourdough, garlic bread, tortilla chips, or pita crisps. Or, spoon it into a warm pita or tacos or wraps for a hearty meal.
Non dairy yogurt substitute: Use blended silken tofu, cashew cream, blended hemp seeds or blend white beans with the ingredients and some water.
You can use lime zest and lime juice instead of the lemon zest and lemon juice, if you prefer.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. For soy-free, choose a soy-free vegan Worcestershire sauce and non-dairy yogurt. For nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt.
To cook the lentils from scratch, soak them for at least 15 minutes, then drain. Add them to a pot with at least 3 times as much water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the lentils, your pan, and your stove. Check them after about 30 minutes. If they’re almost done, switch off the heat, cover the pot, and let them finish cooking in the residual heat. If they need more time, continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes.
To cook black beans from scratch, soak the dried beans overnight, then drain them. For the Instant Pot, add the soaked beans along with twice as much water and pressure cook for about 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then drain the beans and use them in the salad. For the stovetop, add the soaked beans to a pot with 3 to 4 times as much water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and cook until the beans are tender. This can take 1 hour or longer, depending on the beans.
You can add a few aromatics while cooking the beans or lentils, such as 1 to 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic, and a small pinch of salt. Don’t add too much salt, as it can increase the cooking time.
Calories: 274kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 496mg, Potassium: 812mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2353IU, Vitamin C: 80mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- beans – We are using a mix of black beans and lentils. You can use canned or homemade. See the recipe notes above for how to make the lentils and black beans from scratch.
- veggies – This salad is packed with veggies! we are using red and green bell pepper, onion, pickled jalapeños, tomatoes, and kale.
- herbs – Add cilantro or parsley to the salad and scallions, cilantro, or fresh herbs of choice to the dressing.
- seeds – This dense bean salad gets more protein, fiber, nutrients, and some crunch from hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds.
- non-dairy yogurt – For the creamy dressing. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed.
- vegan Worcestershire sauce – Choose soy-free if needed. You can also use a mix of soy sauce and maple syrup instead, if you prefer.
- Dijon mustard – Adds flavor and tang.
- dried spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and pepper flakes add even more flavor to the dressing. You can omit the cumin, if you want.
- lemon – A mix of lemon juice and zest makes the dressing taste so amazing! You can use lime instead, if you prefer.
- hot sauce – Adds a little tang and heat to the dressing. You can use chili oil instead, if you like.
💡Tips
- You want to chop the veggies and herbs to the size of the black beans or lentils. That even texture helps all of those flavors come together.
- For potlucks or picnics, store the salad and dressing separately, then toss together when you arrive.
How to Make Dense Bean Salad
Rinse and drain the beans and lentils, if you haven’t already. You can also cook both from scratch. See the recipe notes for those instructions.
Chop all of the vegetables and set them aside. Chop everything into small, similarly-sized pieces, so no one vegetable stands out too much. You want this salad to have an even texture, so chop everything to about the size of the black beans. Finely chop the kale and cilantro, or whatever herbs you’re using. If you don’t like cilantro, simply leave it out or replace it with another fresh herb, such as parsley. Add the beans, lentils, chopped vegetables, kale, herbs, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients except the hot sauce or chili oil. Mix well, then taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, black pepper, heat, or fresh herbs, if needed. Then, drizzle the hot sauce or chili oil over the dressing, and gently swirl it in.
You can either keep the dressing and salad separate until you’re ready to serve, which works especially well if you’re taking it to a picnic, or pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated right now.
Taste the finished salad and adjust the seasoning with more salt, spices, herbs, or lemon juice, if needed. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors can meld really well. The salad becomes even more flavorful the next day.
What to Serve with Dense Bean Salad
Serve with toasted sourdough, garlic bread, tortilla chips, or pita crisps. Or, spoon it into a warm pita or tacos or wraps for a hearty meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is naturally gluten-free. For soy-free, choose a soy-free vegan Worcestershire sauce and non-dairy yogurt. For nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt.
If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, use 1 teaspoon soy sauce plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup.
To cook the lentils from scratch, soak them for at least 15 minutes, then drain. Add them to a pot with at least 3 times as much water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the lentils, your pan, and your stove. Check them after about 30 minutes. If they’re almost done, switch off the heat, cover the pot, and let them finish cooking in the residual heat. If they need more time, continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes.
To cook black beans from scratch, soak the dried beans overnight, then drain them. For the Instant Pot, add the soaked beans along with twice as much water and pressure cook for about 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then drain the beans and use them in the salad. For the stovetop, add the soaked beans to a pot with 3 to 4 times as much water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat, partially cover, and cook until the beans are tender. This can take 1 hour or longer, depending on the beans.
You can add a few aromatics while cooking the beans or lentils, such as 1 to 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic, and a small pinch of salt. Don’t add too much salt, as it can increase the cooking time.