Description
A vibrant and hearty Dense Bean Salad featuring chickpeas, cannellini beans, colorful bell peppers, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Tossed in a tangy red wine vinegar dressing with garlic, oregano, and a touch of honey or maple syrup, this salad is perfect for a quick, nutritious, and flavorful meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper (finely diced)
- 2 Persian cucumbers (or half an English cucumber, diced)
- ½ small red onion (heaping half cup, finely diced)
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ cup kalamata olives (pitted and sliced)
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), dried oregano, minced garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well combined. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing.
- Prepare the salad base: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained and rinsed chickpeas and cannellini beans with the finely diced red and orange (or yellow) bell peppers, chopped cucumbers, red onion, fresh parsley, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Toss salad with dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently toss everything together until the beans and vegetables are evenly coated with the flavorful dressing.
- Chill and serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and develop fully. Before serving, give the salad a gentle stir to redistribute the dressing and enjoy chilled for best taste.
Notes
- You can substitute pepperoncini or a mix of pepperoncini and kalamata olives for a different flavor twist.
- For added crunch, consider adding chopped celery or radishes.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days, making it great for meal prep.
- Serve with crusty bread or as a side to grilled meats for a complete meal.
- Feel free to use maple syrup instead of honey to make it vegan-friendly.
