Dense Bean Salad Recipe
A colorful and hearty dense bean salad packed with fresh veggies, creamy vegan feta, and a bold lemon dressing. Perfect for lunch, picnics, or meal prep!
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained, rinsed, and dried
- 1 can (15 oz) navy beans drained, rinsed, and dried
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 small bell peppers diced (use red, orange, or yellow)
- 0.5 cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- 6 ounces vegan feta cheese crumbled
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Dressing
- 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
- 0.5 teaspoon fine salt
- 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Beans
Drain, rinse, and pat dry the garbanzo and navy beans. Place them into a large mixing bowl and gently combine. - Step 2: Add the Fresh Ingredients
Add the diced red onion, bell peppers, cucumber, Kalamata olives, vegan feta, and chopped parsley to the beans. Gently mix everything together. - Step 3: Make the Lemon Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, pressed garlic, salt, and oregano until smooth. - Step 4: Toss the Salad
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat everything evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately or chill before serving.