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This loaded grinder dense bean salad is the perfect fiber and protein-packed recipe to get you excited to eat more veggies. It’s full of beans, fresh vegetables, banana peppers and provolone cheese with a tangy vinaigrette for an Italian grinder inspired twist.
The dense bean salad trend has basically become the internet’s go to lunch after going totally viral on social media (shoutout tiktok creator Violet Witchel!), and for good reason. I’ve been making loaded bean salads for years (you need to try my Cowboy Caviar) and I just love that these bean salads are getting their moment!
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Dense Bean Salad
This dish is hearty enough to be a filling, balanced meal all on its own, but also works as a delicious side dish on any weeknight! Here’s why you’ll love it, too:
- Fiber and protein packed. A 2 cup serving of this nutritious dense bean salad has over 20 grams of protein and 12 (!!) grams of fiber for an ultra-filling and satisfying meal.
- So easy with a huge flavor payoff. It’s almost too easy. Just throw everything in a bowl and toss with dressing. The chopping is the only prep you need to do.
- Meal-prep friendly. No need to worry about a sad, soggy salad. This bean salad stores amazingly well in the fridge and soaks up even more flavor, so it’s perfect for making ahead of time.
- Perfect for entertaining, too. Serve this at any gathering for a dish that will impress your guests!
Ingredients
- Beans: I like to use one can each of chickpeas, cannellini beans or any white bean, and kidney beans, but any mix of beans will work!
- Veggies: This bean salad is packed with veggies and the combination I like best for flavor and crunch is cucumber, sweet onion or red onion, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers.
- Banana peppers: Banana peppers add the perfect amount of tanginess.
- Provolone cheese: Provolone gives the “Italian grinder” vibe but any cheese will work. Other great choices would be feta, cheddar, shaved parmesan or mozzarella pearls.
- Deli meat: I like to use turkey and salami for Italian grinder vibes and protein. You can also use cooked chopped chicken breast or ham.
- Fresh parsley: For a pop of green and herby flavor.
- Vinaigrette: You can use store-bought Italian dressing or vinegar-based dressing, or make a super quick homemade dressing with red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning and salt.
Variations
- Keep it vegetarian. Omit the meat and use 6 oz. of provolone and add 1 cup of cooked edamame.
- Swap the protein. Use diced cooked chicken breast instead of deli meat.
- Antipasto-style. Use chopped pepperoni and add 1 cup of marinated artichoke hearts and 1/2 cup of Kalamata olives instead of the banana peppers.
- Spicy grinder. Use hot banana peppers and a pinch of crushed red pepper for a bean salad with a kick.
How to Make Dense Bean Salad
- Make dressing. Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl until fully combined. Set aside.
- Add salad ingredients. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Add dressing. Add dressing to the bowl and toss until thoroughly combined.
- Enjoy! Add additional salt and pepper to taste and enjoy immediately or store in the fridge.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container with a lid for up to 4 days. You can also store in individual containers for meal prep!
Jamie’s Tips
Tips for Success
- Chop small. The key to the best dense bean salad really is to chop everything nice and small and uniform. That way you get all of the flavors in each bite. Plus you can even eat it with tortilla chips!
- Use a veggie chopper. If you want to save some chopping time, use a vegetable chopper instead of chopping by hand.
- Rinse and drain well. Make sure to rinse and drain your beans super well. Extra bean liquid will water down the dressing and can it a little grainy.
- Choose firm veggies. Crunchy veggies are essential, so make sure you choose your vegetables wisely so that your salad lasts in the fridge.
More Dense Bean Salad Recipes
If you’ve made and loved this Grinder Dense Bean Salad or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Dense Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cucumber, diced small
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced small
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 bell peppers, diced small (red, yellow or orange)
- 3/4 cup banana peppers, chopped
- 4-6 oz. provolone cheese, diced
- 4 oz. deli turkey, diced (or diced chicken breast)
- 2 oz. salami or pepperoni, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, basil or chives, finely minced
Dressing
- 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or microplaned
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients.
- In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients. Whisk together until fully combined.
- Pour dressing over the bean salad and toss until thoroughly mixed and beans and veggies are coated with dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
