My Make-Ahead Rainbow Salad Is a Hit at Every Cookout
These salad recipes are packed with vegetables, herbs, a flavorful
Why You'll Love It
The jalapeno-lime dressing is a winner. No store-bought dressing can match the flavor of this vinaigrette. Its flavor is bright and citrusy, with a touch of heat from fresh jalapeno pepper.
You can eat it all week long. This recipe gets even better as the beans and vegetables marinate in the dressing. You'll enjoy it as much on the last day as you did on the first.
Key Ingredients in Dense Bean Salad
Canned beans: Canned beans are the star of this salad. This recipe calls for 2 cans of black, pinto, or cannellini beans, but you can mix-and-match your favorite canned or
Jalapeno pepper: You'll need 1 jalapeno pepper for this recipe. Blend half into the dressing, then mince the rest to add to the salad.
Hearty vegetables: This recipe calls for bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, red cabbage, and red onion to add color, flavor, and texture to the salad.
Fresh cilantro: This hearty herb adds fresh flavor to the salad. You'll need cilantro for both the dressing and the salad.
Cotija cheese: This cheese is crumbly and salty. You can find it in wedges or pre-grated in the deli section of most grocery stores.
Helpful Swaps
You can use fresh or frozen corn for this salad. There's no need to cook the fresh corn once you
Mix diced
This recipe makes a big batch of salad—12 cups, to be exact. If that's more than you will eat in a week, it's easy to use just one can of beans and halve the remaining recipe ingredients.
Dense Bean Salad
Serves 6 to 8
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As A Dietitian, This Mega-Viral TikTok Salad Trend Is One That I Stand Behind 100% — Here's Why
Hey Walmart shoppers! You can get Express Delivery on your orders (including groceries) to be delivered in as fast as one hour. Because sometimes you need your order now. Use promo code EXPRESS to get your first Express Delivery free. If you've been on social media over the past year, chances are you've heard of the Dense Bean Salad. While not a new concept, it was popularized on TikTok this past year by creator Violet Witchel. Violet's first Dense Bean Salad on TikTok — a Sundried Tomato Dense Bean Salad — amassed 12.6 million views. That's a lot of beans! I think most of us can agree that if eating healthier were easy, delicious, AND budget-friendly, we'd all put down the takeout menu and eat homemade a little more often. Lucky for us, this trend gave us the idea and inspiration for a simple way to eat better! Not only that, but it gives us flexibility and room to get creative, customize, and try something new. The parameters of a dense bean salad are: 1. It should be bean-focused 2. It is high in protein 3. Pairs well with a vinaigrette 4. No lettuce in sight 5. Prep-ahead friendly Violet has a simple checklist for her salads: vinegar-based dressing, herbs, two kinds of beans, crunchy veg, cheese, soft veg, and a "pickled bit." Psst: To cook thousands of recipes in step-by-step mode right on your phone, download the free Tasty app right now. As a dietitian, I can usually get behind something that gets people to eat more beans, whether it's adding canned beans to your soup, chickpeas to your brownies, or lentils to your muffins (really!). There are infinite ways to get your bean on. I always have canned beans in the pantry, from chickpeas to my personal favorite, the white bean. Sure, dried beans are even cheaper, BUT I never remember to soak them and cook them the night before. I mean... come on, I can barely remember the last time I changed my bed sheets. Here's why I'm obsessed with beans: Sure, they may get a bad rap, but beans are pretty great. If you've ever heard the tune "beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you..." — you'll understand why some people are hesitant to eat them regularly. Beans are a good source of protein and fiber (both of which keep you feeling full), and are great for your heart health, blood sugar regulation, and digestion. They are also a good source of nutrients like iron, magnesium, and zinc, as well as prebiotics... aka fiber that feeds your gut bacteria. A healthy gut means a healthy you! As a dietitian, I see people who are looking for make-ahead meals that get better with time... not ones that lose their appeal after 24 hours. Not only that, but if you are taking your lunch on the go, you may not have access to a microwave, so a meal that is ready to go right out of the fridge or lunch box is key. Building our lunches around this healthy source of protein is a no-brainer. Including protein at meals can help sustain energy (so you don't have that dreaded afternoon slump come 4 p.m.), keep us feeling full, and help with muscle maintenance. There have even been studies that suggest that having protein at lunch can help your brain function throughout the day. When it comes to protein, you don't have to gnaw on a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store — you can get your protein AND fiber in one convenient bean-shaped package. Having a prepared lunch can not only help you stay on track with your wellness goals, but it's good for your wallet, too! Canned beans are an affordable protein source, making these salads budget-friendly. I love using them as a way to use up some of the random veggies I have in the fridge, from half-eaten bell peppers to that quarter red onion you've been ignoring on your shelf. If you're like me, you'll get bored with your lunch after a couple of days, which is why I love how customizable these can be. Here are some of my favorite ways to hop on this trend: 1. White beans, chickpeas, chopped celery, carrots, green onion, cilantro, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese 2. Chickpeas, black beans, canned artichokes, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, oregano, parsley, Greek binaigrette 3. Edamame (soybeans), chickpeas, salsa, corn, radishes, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cheese, grilled chicken, and chipotle vinaigrette. So go ahead: Buy those beans and BYODBS to work today. (That's Bring Your Own Dense Bean Salad, for those who aren't paying attention.) Get Express Delivery on your Walmart orders (including groceries) to be delivered in as fast as one hour — use promo code EXPRESS to get your first Express Delivery free. For hundreds of budget- and meal prep-friendly recipes, download the free Tasty app to see what people are cooking — no subscription required!
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If you've been on social media over the past year, chances are you've heard of the Dense Bean Salad. While not a new concept, it was popularized on TikTok this past year by creator Violet Witchel. Violet's first Dense Bean Salad on TikTok — a Sundried Tomato Dense Bean Salad — amassed 12.6 million views. That's a lot of beans! I think most of us can agree that if eating healthier were easy, delicious, AND budget-friendly, we'd all put down the takeout menu and eat homemade a little more often. Lucky for us, this trend gave us the idea and inspiration for a simple way to eat better! Not only that, but it gives us flexibility and room to get creative, customize, and try something new. The parameters of a dense bean salad are: 1. It should be bean-focused2. It is high in protein3. Pairs well with a vinaigrette4. No lettuce in sight5. Prep-ahead friendlyViolet has a simple checklist for her salads: vinegar-based dressing, herbs, two kinds of beans, crunchy veg, cheese, soft veg, and a "pickled bit." Psst: To cook thousands of recipes in step-by-step mode right on your phone, download the free Tasty app right now. As a dietitian, I can usually get behind something that gets people to eat more beans, whether it's adding canned beans to your soup, chickpeas to your brownies, or lentils to your muffins (really!). There are infinite ways to get your bean on. I always have canned beans in the pantry, from chickpeas to my personal favorite, the white bean. Sure, dried beans are even cheaper, BUT I never remember to soak them and cook them the night before. I mean... come on, I can barely remember the last time I changed my bed sheets. Here's why I'm obsessed with beans: Sure, they may get a bad rap, but beans are pretty great. If you've ever heard the tune "beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you..." — you'll understand why some people are hesitant to eat them regularly. Beans are a good source of protein and fiber (both of which keep you feeling full), and are great for your heart health, blood sugar regulation, and digestion. They are also a good source of nutrients like iron, magnesium, and zinc, as well as prebiotics... aka fiber that feeds your gut bacteria. A healthy gut means a healthy you! As a dietitian, I see people who are looking for make-ahead meals that get better with time... not ones that lose their appeal after 24 hours. Not only that, but if you are taking your lunch on the go, you may not have access to a microwave, so a meal that is ready to go right out of the fridge or lunch box is key. Building our lunches around this healthy source of protein is a no-brainer. Including protein at meals can help sustain energy (so you don't have that dreaded afternoon slump come 4 p.m.), keep us feeling full, and help with muscle maintenance. There have even been studies that suggest that having protein at lunch can help your brain function throughout the day. When it comes to protein, you don't have to gnaw on a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store — you can get your protein AND fiber in one convenient bean-shaped package. Having a prepared lunch can not only help you stay on track with your wellness goals, but it's good for your wallet, too! Canned beans are an affordable protein source, making these salads budget-friendly. I love using them as a way to use up some of the random veggies I have in the fridge, from half-eaten bell peppers to that quarter red onion you've been ignoring on your shelf. If you're like me, you'll get bored with your lunch after a couple of days, which is why I love how customizable these can be. Here are some of my favorite ways to hop on this trend: 1. White beans, chickpeas, chopped celery, carrots, green onion, cilantro, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese2. Chickpeas, black beans, canned artichokes, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, oregano, parsley, Greek binaigrette3. Edamame (soybeans), chickpeas, salsa, corn, radishes, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cheese, grilled chicken, and chipotle vinaigrette. So go ahead: Buy those beans and BYODBS to work today. (That's Bring Your Own Dense Bean Salad, for those who aren't paying attention.) Get Express Delivery on your Walmart orders (including groceries) to be delivered in as fast as one hour — use promo code EXPRESS to get your first Express Delivery free. For hundreds of budget- and meal prep-friendly recipes, download the free Tasty app to see what people are cooking — no subscription required!
Epoch Times
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My Make-Ahead Rainbow Salad Is a Hit at Every Cookout
If you've spent any time on social media in the past year, you have probably come across the viral food trend of dense bean salads. These salad recipes are packed with vegetables, herbs, a flavorful Why You'll Love It The jalapeno-lime dressing is a winner. No store-bought dressing can match the flavor of this vinaigrette. Its flavor is bright and citrusy, with a touch of heat from fresh jalapeno pepper. You can eat it all week long. This recipe gets even better as the beans and vegetables marinate in the dressing. You'll enjoy it as much on the last day as you did on the first. Key Ingredients in Dense Bean Salad Canned beans: Canned beans are the star of this salad. This recipe calls for 2 cans of black, pinto, or cannellini beans, but you can mix-and-match your favorite canned or Jalapeno pepper: You'll need 1 jalapeno pepper for this recipe. Blend half into the dressing, then mince the rest to add to the salad. Hearty vegetables: This recipe calls for bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, red cabbage, and red onion to add color, flavor, and texture to the salad. Fresh cilantro: This hearty herb adds fresh flavor to the salad. You'll need cilantro for both the dressing and the salad. Cotija cheese: This cheese is crumbly and salty. You can find it in wedges or pre-grated in the deli section of most grocery stores. Helpful Swaps You can use fresh or frozen corn for this salad. There's no need to cook the fresh corn once you Mix diced This recipe makes a big batch of salad—12 cups, to be exact. If that's more than you will eat in a week, it's easy to use just one can of beans and halve the remaining recipe ingredients. Dense Bean Salad Serves 6 to 8
