Make this green goddess dense bean salad your go-to summer meal or snack! The filling, make-ahead salad tastes even better the longer it sits, making it perfect for meal prep, cookouts, or an easy family dinner.
What are Dense Bean Salads?
If you’ve spent time on social media in the past year, you have probably seen the viral dense bean salad food trend. TikTok creator Violet Witchel started sharing recipes like enchilada, Buffalo chicken, and sun-dried tomato dense bean salad, which she says make eating healthy easy for her. Shoutout to Violet for making fiber and beans trendy again!
So, what is a dense bean salad? It’s basically any kind of mixed bean salad. It typically starts with canned beans (of course), and you can bulk it up with whatever fresh vegetables you have, along with a salad dressing to tie it all together. You’ll also see versions with fresh fruit, extra protein like chicken or deli meat, and all kinds of cheese tossed in.
While you can mix and match the other ingredients, the beans are non-negotiable. That’s where the dense bean comes in. Beans make this dish hearty and filling enough to be a complete meal, not just another salad side dish.
Key Ingredients
This green goddess dense bean salad comes together quickly! Begin by mixing the ingredients for the dressing. Combine the beans with all your favorite fresh ingredients, then toss everything together. It’s as simple as that! Here’s everything you need to get started.
- Avocado Green Goddess Dressing: This colorful salad dressing brings everything together! You can grab a bottle at the store or make your own by blending fresh greens like basil, spinach leaves, parsley, and chives with garlic cloves, avocado, fresh lemon juice, rice vinegar, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper. Use water, as needed, to adjust the consistency of the salad dressing.
- Beans: The best part about this dense bean salad? It’s totally customizable, especially the beans. That’s why it’s one of my go-to’s when I need a quick meal or snack. I usually reach for canned Cannellini beans and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), but use whatever mix of beans you’ve got on hand: black beans, Great Northern beans, kidney beans, or navy beans.
- Cucumbers: Crunchy Persian cucumbers are my favorite for this salad, but English cucumbers work too. Just scoop out the watery center before dicing them.
- Cabbage: Stick with the green goddess theme by chopping green cabbage for the salad. Napa cabbage, red cabbage, or Savoy cabbage would taste just as good.
- Bell Pepper: For color and crunch, include green bell pepper.
- Green Onions: Thinly sliced green onions add a mild peppery finish that ties everything together.
Additions and Substitutions
Customize the green goddess dense bean salad with whatever you have on hand. Don’t be afraid to play around with the ingredients and make it your own.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Add more of your favorite fresh vegetables and fruits, such as chopped carrots, celery, cherries, tomatoes, grape tomatoes, radishes, or red bell peppers. Just dice everything (except the petite tomatoes) into bite-sized pieces and toss them in with the rest. You can even include whole grains such as quinoa or bulgur.
- Add extra protein. Shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced deli meat, and grilled or baked thin-cut chicken breast are fantastic additions to the salad.
- Switch up the dressing. Replace creamy avocado green goddess dressing with tzatziki, dill pickle ranch dressing, yogurt tahini sauce, or a tangy vinaigrette, such as jalapeno lime vinaigrette, basil balsamic vinaigrette, or miso vinaigrette.
- Try a different type of bean. Use whatever you have in your pantry. Swap the chickpeas and Cannellini beans for creamy butter beans, Great Northern beans, navy beans, or even black-eyed peas. It’s hard to go wrong.
- Can I use dried beans instead of canned beans? Of course! You can use dried beans if you don’t mind the extra work. Just be sure to rinse the beans in a colander. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl and soak them in water overnight before using them in the salad.
Dense Bean Salad Variations
| Salad | Ingredients | Dressing |
| Cowboy Caviar | Black Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Avocado, Cilantro, Corn Kernels, Jalapeños, Red Bell Peppers, Red Onions, Tomatoes | Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette Olive Oil and Lime Juice |
| Greek Bean Salad | Butter Beans, Chickpeas, Cannellini Beans, Dill, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Lemon Zest, Cucumbers | Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette |
| Grinder Dense Bean Salad | Cannellini Beans, Chickpeas, Northern White Beans, Bell Peppers, Mozzarella Pearls, Red Onions, Pepperonis, Pepperoncinis, Salami, Turkey | Italian Salad Dressing Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar |
| Mediterranean Bean Salad | Cannellini Beans, Chickpeas, Fava Beans, Bell Peppers, Black Olives, Cucumbers, Mint, Onions, Fresh Parsley, Tomatoes | Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar Butter Bean Hummus Tahini Yogurt Sauce Tzatziki |
| Southwest Bean Salad | Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Corn Kernels, Cabbage, Onions, Jalapeño Peppers, Cilantro, Cojita Cheese | Avocado Lime Crema Chipotle Lime Sauce Green Goddess Dressing Olive Oil and Lime Juice Serrano Crema |
| Tuscan Bean Salad | Cannellini Beans, Artichoke Hearts, Garlic, Kale, Parsley, Red Bell Pepper, Shallots, Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Pistachio Pesto |
More Bean Salad Recipes:
How to Make Dense Bean Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine basil, spinach, parsley, chives, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the avocado, lemon juice, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Process until smooth.
Step 2: Drain and rinse the beans through a colander and set them aside. Use a sharp knife or vegetable chopper to cut the vegetables and toss everything into a large bowl.
Prep Tip
Add warm water, as needed, until the dressing has a smooth, pourable consistency.
Step 3: Add the beans and ¾ cup of the avocado green goddess dressing to the bowl and stir it all together. If you have the time, pop the salad in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors settle and combine.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh ingredients. Prioritize fresh herbs, greens, and veggies for the best flavor.
- Uniformly cut the veggies. Dice the veggies and fruit into bite-size pieces to evenly distribute the flavor for each bite.
- Let it chill. Enjoy the salad right away, or let it chill for 10-15 minutes before serving.
If you love the dense bean salad trend, try one of these tasty salad recipes!
How to Serve this Dense Bean Salad
Dense bean salad isn’t just easy to customize—it’s super versatile! The fresh-tasting green goddess salad is a great option for family gatherings, potlucks, and BBQs, as it holds up well and can be easily adjusted to feed a crowd.
Enjoy the salad as a light meal or snack. Eat it by the spoonful, scoop it onto a crispy tostada or a crunchy slice of sourdough, or stuff it into a pita. Try it with this falafel gyro!
And if you need a filling side dish, pair the white bean salad with everything from chicken and salmon to beef or lamb.
What To Do With Leftovers
How long do dense bean salads last? The salad tastes even better as the days go on, so feel free to meal prep it into an airtight container or jar to enjoy throughout the week. It stays fresh for 2-3 days, although the color may change a little because of the avocado in the dressing.
More Quick Meal Ideas:
Dense Bean Salad
- 1 cup basil leaves
- ½ cup spinach leaves
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- ⅓ cup chives or garlic scapes, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 avocado pitted and peeled
- lemon juice, one lemon
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- warm water, as needed
- 2 cans (15-ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15-ounces) Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups Persian cucumbers, finely diced
- ½ head green cabbage, finely diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, deseeded, and finely diced
- 1 bunch green onions, finely diced
- ¾ cup avocado green goddess dressing
- Combine basil, spinach, parsley, chives, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the avocado, lemon juice, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Process until smooth. Tip: Add warm water, as needed, until the dressing has a smooth, pourable consistency.
- Drain and rinse the beans through a colander and set them aside. Use a sharp knife or vegetable chopper to cut the vegetables and toss everything into a large bowl.
- Add the beans and ¾ cup of the avocado green goddess dressing to the bowl and stir it all together. If you have the time, pop the salad in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the flavors settle and combine.
- Use fresh ingredients. Prioritize fresh herbs, greens, and veggies for the best flavor.
- Uniformly cut the veggies. Dice the veggies and fruit into bite-size pieces to evenly distribute the flavor for each bite.
- Let it chill. Enjoy the salad right away, or let it chill for 10-15 minutes before serving.