Dense Bean Salad Wellness Seeds (Printable)

Nutritious salad blending beans, fresh vegetables, and wholesome chia and hemp seeds for flavor and texture.

# What You Need:

→ Beans & Legumes

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
03 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Seeds

09 - 2 tablespoons chia seeds
10 - 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
17 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, kidney beans, and black beans.
02 - Add the red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley to the beans.
03 - Sprinkle chia seeds and hemp seeds evenly over the salad mixture.
04 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, and ground cumin in a small bowl until emulsified.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
06 - Allow the salad to rest for at least 10 minutes to enable chia seeds to absorb moisture and flavors to meld.
07 - Serve chilled or at room temperature as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills you up without weighing you down, thanks to all that fiber and plant protein working together.
  • The chia seeds do this magic trick where they thicken the dressing just enough to coat every bean and vegetable.
  • You can eat it straight from the fridge or let it come to room temperature, and it tastes great either way.
  • It keeps for days and actually gets better as the flavors soak in.
02 -
  • Rinse your beans really well or the salad will taste like can liquid, which is not the vibe.
  • Don't skip the resting time, the chia seeds need those 10 minutes to do their thing and thicken the dressing.
  • If you add the dressing right before serving without letting it sit, you'll miss out on the way the flavors settle into each other.
03 -
  • Let the salad come to room temperature before serving if you want the flavors to really sing.
  • Taste it before you serve and add an extra pinch of salt, beans are sneaky and almost always need more seasoning than you think.
  • If you're taking this somewhere, pack the dressing separately and toss it right before serving so the vegetables stay crisp.
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