By Step aside, pasta salad; this Italian dense bean salad has all those delicious fresh flavors, but you don't have to cook anything! In just 15 minutes, you'll have a perfect protein-packed meal-prep lunch. So grab a few cans of beans, and let's get mixing!
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This easy protein salad requires no cooking - my fav type of recipe. My Italian butter bean salad has several protein sources that are also high in fiber, ensuring you'll be satisfied long after finishing this meal! When I have a meal prep day, I prep this salad while my cottage cheese egg bites bake, and then round it out with my protein balls without protein powder.
the key is chopping!
What sets a good salad apart from a great one is that everything is chopped small! I use my chopper with the ¼" grate to chop all veggies and then finely dice the meat.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Beans: Garbanzo beans and butter beans are the base of this meal. I use canned for simplicity. Feel free to swap them for any mixture of white beans, like cannellini beans or great northern beans. Have more beans? Use them to make marry me sausage and beans!
- Salami: Grab your favorite thinly sliced Italian salami from your local deli. You can also do a combination of salami, deli turkey, and ham to reduce fat.
- Veggies & herbs: Red bell peppers, red onions, fresh basil, and pepperoncini (or banana peppers) make this butter bean salad into a vibrant meal, where each colorful ingredient adds its own distinctive flavor. These are all sturdy veggies, so this is a "good all week" salad.
- Mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella pearls are ideal for this recipe, though you could substitute them with another soft cheese like feta or burrata if you prefer.
- Dressing: With a handful of pantry staples, you can elevate any store-bought dressing. Just grab Italian dressing, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and lemon juice. Store-bought or homemade dressing is fine.
here's how to make Italian dense bean salad
- Drain and dry the beans: Drain and rinse the beans.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, mix together the Italian dressing and spices.
- Combine: Add all the salad ingredients to the bowl with the dressing and gently mix.
helpful tips
- If your dish is too wet: If too wet, add more beans or lay on paper towels to absorb excess liquid.
- Taste, taste, taste! Always taste your bean salad after mixing to see if you need more salt or lemon juice. These types of salads need a surprising amount of salt and acid.
- Swap the beans: If you don't like beans, you can swap them for any small protein pasta. Goodles is my favorite.
quick recipe video
serving ideas
- More protein: Add grilled chicken or sausage to add more protein to your meal.
- With pita: Try eating this butter bean salad with fresh or grilled pita slices (my favorite type of pita).
- As a side dish: Serve as a side dish to our cottage cheese meatball recipe!
If you tried this Italian dense bean salad or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Recipe
italian dense bean salad
Ingredients
- 1 15oz can canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- 1 15oz can canned white beans (we use cannellini)
- 4-5 oz salami (diced, optional to use spicy or a combo of deli turkey, ham, and salami)
- 1 large red bell pepper (diced)
- ¼ cup pepperoncini (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup red onion (diced)
- ½ cup fresh basil (thinly sliced)
- 6 oz mozzarella pearls (can use large ball, just cube it or tear it)
Dressing
- ⅓ cup italian dressing (homemade or store bought)
- 1 large clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Drain and rinse the 1 15oz can canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and 1 15oz can canned white beanshen use a paper towel to carefully dry them as best you can. Cannellini beans are very tender so be extra careful with them.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ⅓ cup italian dressing, 1 large clove garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Add all the salad ingredients to the bowl (4-5 oz salami, 1 large red bell pepper, ¼ cup pepperoncini, ¼ cup red onion, ½ cup fresh basil, and 6 oz mozzarella pearls) with the dressing and gently mix using a spatula until everything is well coated.
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Yummy!! Made a double batch, so I can take it to work as my lunch!
so happy to hear that!
This has been a regular meal in our house for months and is perfect for lunches on the go! Always so good with all the basil!
That's awesome! Isn't it so perfect for on the go?!