Greek-Inspired Dense Bean Salad

Written By Sabrina Wong

This one is a staple at my house. It’s high protein, uses ingredients we almost always see at Birch and it feeds many. It’s flexible, forgiving, and tastes even better the next day. You can swap out flavors and ingredients really easily! Great for our vegetarian friends and those who are looking for a lighter meal that fills you up for a long time.

Bright, hearty, and built from pantry staples. This is one of those “clean out the fridge but make it feel fancy” meals. Beans give it staying power, fresh herbs make it taste elevated, and the creamy lemon dressing ties everything together.

Perfect on its own, scooped into a pita, wrapped in lettuce, paired with chips, or eaten straight from the fridge.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

The Salad:

  • 2 cans white beans (cannellini or great northern or honestly whatever beans you are into! Chickpeas would work) drained + rinsed

  • 3 cucumbers, diced

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 container fresh dill, chopped

  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped

  • 1 cup crumbled feta or mozzarella balls (or both!)

  • 1 jar kalamata olives, sliced

Optional add-ins: red onion or pepperoncini for extra bite (I skip these when I’m feeding little kids).

Creamy Lemon Dressing:

  • 1/8 cup vinegar (red wine vinegar is great, but any works)

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • Salt + garlic powder to taste

Shortcut option: use a powdered tzatziki mix or any Greek-style dressing you have on hand.kids).

How To Make It

1. Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients until smooth (I used my immersion blender to make it extra smooth but it isn’t necessary) 

3. Pour over salad and mix well.

4. Let sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors soak into the beans.

5. Refrigerate leftovers- it’s even better the next day.

Sabrina Wong
Previous

Buttermilk Oat Pancakes