Italian Dense Bean Salad

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Italian Dense Bean Salad

This Italian dense bean salad is the TikTok viral high protein meal prep recipe that has taken over the internet and for very good reason. Loaded with chickpeas, white beans, crisp Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, savory pepperoni or salami, and tangy pepperoncinis all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing.

Prep Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bean salad, dense bean salad, italian dense bean salad, tiktok dense bean salad

Servings:

Author: Modern Honey® - www.modernhoney.com

Ingredients

(1) 15.5 ounce can Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) (drained and rinsed)
(1) 15.5 ounce can White Beans (Cannellini or White Northern) (drained and rinsed)
10 ounces Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half lengthwise)
2 Persian Cucumbers (or 1 hot house cucumber)
12 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Balls (plain or marinated)
5 ounces Pepperoni (chopped)
1/2 jar Pepperoncini Peppers
1 Shallot (or 1/4 red onion, diced)

Dressing:

1/4 cup Olive Oil (may increase to 1/3 cup for more dressing)
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 Garlic Cloves (minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning or Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Lemon (optional) juiced

Instructions

Prepare your vegetables. Slice the Persian cucumbers and halve the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside for 10–15 minutes. Pat dry.
Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, lemon juice, oregano or Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes until emulsified.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas and white beans. Add them to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing. Let marinate for 5–10 minutes.
Add the salted cucumbers, tomatoes, shallot or red onion, salami or pepperoni, pepperoncinis, and mozzarella to the bowl with the marinated beans.
Pour the remaining dressing over everything and toss gently to combine.
Optional: top with shaved or grated parmesan cheese and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, oregano, or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes

I bought the pepperoni and marinated mozzarella balls at Trader Joe's. All of the ingredients can be found there.

Optional: Add 2 ounces of shaved parmesan cheeese. I like to add 1/3 cup of olive oil in my dressing recipe.

Beans: You can use any combination of beans you love or have on hand in this recipe. Cannellini beans, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans all work

Protein: Pepperoni is used here but there are plenty of delicious ways to switch up the protein. Diced grilled chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or deli turkey all work wonderfully. For a vegetarian version simply leave the meat out entirely and add extra beans or marinated artichoke hearts in its place.

Cheese: Mini mozzarella balls and provolone are the classic choices here but feel free to use what you love or have available. Diced fresh mozzarella or shaved parmesan can work as well.

Vegetables: Red peppers, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives are all fantastic additions.

Dressing: The homemade Italian vinaigrette is highly recommended here but in a pinch you can use a good quality store bought Italian dressing and it will still taste incredible. Olive Garden dressing is a fan favorite substitution.

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