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dense bean salad in the bowl after mixing
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Dense Bean Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

This Dense Bean Salad keeps you full for hours! Black beans, lentils, veggies, kale, seeds and a creamy, lemony dressing. It's packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants in every bite! (gluten-free, options for soy-free, nut-free)
Prep Time25 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dense bean salad
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

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

For the Dressing

  • 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt , see notes for sub
  • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce use gluten-free if needed
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin optional
  • 1 teaspoon pepper flakes or a mix of pepper flakes and black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped scallions cilantro, or other fresh herbs of choice
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce or chili oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the 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 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 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.

Video

Notes

Worcestershire sauce substitute:  use 1 teaspoon soy sauce plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup.
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.

Nutrition

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