Inspired by the viral TikTok recipe by @violetwitchel, this Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad is a simple and healthy vegetarian dish packed with bright, vibrant flavors! It’s made with a mixture of canned beans and fresh vegetables, making it the perfect recipe for meal prep and no-cook, summer dinners!
I’ll admit, I was super salty when the food blogger stage moved from Instagram to TikTok. I get why video content is so popular, but I MISS POSTING PHOTOS. Photography is by far my favorite thing about food blogging, and it’s so sad to see it on the decline.
That being said, TikTok has been such an amazing way to discover new bloggers and recipes from unique and up-and-coming creators . Enter @violet.cooks, who created a TikTok video series on Dense Bean Salads. She coined this term for a salad that has a base of several beans, veggies, and sometimes meat, tied together with a delicious dressing. This type of salad is perfect for meal prep, the flavor intensifying in the fridge as it sits throughout the week. Obviously, this is right up my alley! Violet’s videos are so appealing and gave me a ton of inspiration.
I made my own variation of a Vegetarian Dense Bean Salad inspired by my garden – fresh Swiss chard, peppers, and chives picked right in my yard. Here’s what’s in this recipe:
- Canned beans (but you can use home-cooked beans if you’d like!)
- In-season produce like chard, peppers, and chives
- Mozzarella pearls
- A bright and zippy lemon-cumin dressing with a hint of smoked paprika
While this recipe is vegetarian, you can add any proteins like grilled meats, tofu, or tempeh to the salad if you’d like! It’s super versatile – you can even use it as a chunky dip for chips!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do :)
Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad FAQs
What is a dense bean salad?
The dense bean salad was created by TikTok influencer Violet Witchel as a delicious and healthy meal prep idea. Unlike other salads, this one has beans instead of greens as the base. In a typical dense bean salad, you use 2-3 types of beans, plus veggies, cheese, and an optional protein.
Is canned bean salad good for you?
Yes! Canned beans have just the same nutrition as home-cooked beans. However, it’s important to note that canned beans can have higher levels of sodium. If that’s of concern to you, be sure to purchase low-sodium beans at the store.
How long is bean salad good for in the fridge?
I recommend saving this salad in the fridge for 4-5 days, for best quality and taste.
What is the best dressing for bean salad?
In this recipe, I use a light but zesty vinaigrette to amp up the flavors of the vegetables. I highly recommend a vinegar-based dressing (as opposed to mayo) because the beans will soak up the flavor!
What is the best bean salad dressing – mayo or vinegar based?
Vinaigrettes go super well in bean salads, like this smoky lemon-cumin dressing I created here. Because this is a vegetarian recipe, I used hearty spices like smoked paprika and cumin to deepen the flavor.
Can you make a vegetarian dense bean salad?
Yes! Many of Violet’s recipes contain meat, but this recipe is naturally vegetarian. With two types of beans and mozzarella cheese, it still has plenty of vegetarian protein to go around!
Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad
Ingredients
Smoky Lemon-Cumin Dressing
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Juice from 1 Lemon or more, to taste
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Salt or more, to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
Dense Bean Salad
- 1 15 oz Can Roman or Pinto Beans
- 1 15 oz Can Black Beans
- 1 1/2 Cups Rainbow Chard see notes
- 1 Large Banana Pepper sliced
- 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1/4 Cup Chives minced
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Pearls see notes
Instructions
- Start by prepping your dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl until totally mixed. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Drain and rinse your cans of beans. Gently pat the beans dry with a towel.
- Prep your veggies – cut your tomatoes into quarters, chop your chard, cut your pepper into slices, and mince your chives.
- To a bowl, add the beans with the cut veggies and mozzarella. Pour the dressing over, and mix well.
- For best results, let the salad sit for about 30 minutes, to let the flavors meld.
- Serve at room temperature, and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t like the taste of chard, use another soft green like spinach or a mesclun blend!
- If you don’t have a banana pepper, a bell pepper would also work just fine.
- Feel free to add any proteins you like to the mix.
- If you can’t get your hands on mozzarella pearls, sub in sliced mozzarella or feta instead!
- If using home-cooked beans, sub in 1 1/2 cups of beans per can.
- This salad will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
P.S.
For more plant-forward recipes and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
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