We love a TikTok food trend as much as anyone, especially when the trending recipe is something that’s nutritious, delicious, and perfect for meal prepping. And when TikTok user Violet Witchel, also known as @Violet.Cooks, started sharing her Dense Bean Salads, we weren’t the only ones who took notice. In a video that received 8.5 million views, Witchel explains that a Dense Bean Salad, or DBS for short, is “a dense salad packed with veggies, tons of protein, and a vinegar-based dressing that lasts the entire week.” The delicious trend became so popular, that when Google revealed its 2024 Year in Search report, Dense Bean Salad was shown to be one of the most searched food terms in 2024. Dense Bean Salads are perfect for meal prepping, because unlike salads made with lettuce, they don’t get soggy after a few hours in the fridge. But more importantly, they’re genuinely delicious and satisfying, offering up a tumble of textures, flavors, and nutrients that will keep you fueled all afternoon.
Now that we’re clued into the power of the DBS, we had to scout around for some bean salads to add to our weekly rotation. From chickpeas to black beans, charcuterie-inspired to vegan, these are some of the tastiest looking recipes we found that totally fit the DBS ethos — including some from the Dense Bean Salad creator herself. Take a look below, and get ready for some seriously satisfying lunches in the weeks ahead.
Steak Tzatziki Dense Bean Salad
Flavorful grilled, seasoned steak adds tons of satisfying protein to this recipe, but it’s not alone — the salad also includes chickpeas and white beans, along with a slew of veggies, for even more protein, fiber, and nutrients.
Get the recipe from Violet Cooks on Substack.
Buffalo Chicken Dense Bean Salad
Spicy, tangy, Buffalo sauce is in both the chicken marinade and the dressing of this dense bean salad. It adds huge flavor to the combination of corn, peppers, chickpeas, white beans, and other ingredients that are packed into the recipe.
Get the recipe from Violet Cooks on Substack.
Grinder Bean Salad
This recipe is like a combo of two different TikTok recipe trends, grinder salads and dense bean salads. It pairs white beans and navy beans with Genoa salami, pepperoncini, bell peppers, herbs, and an Italian dressing that will remind you of your favorite sub sandwich.
Get the recipe from My Family Dinner Ideas.
Chile Lime Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Gluten-free and vegan, this chili lime quinoa black bean salad is still packed with protein. You can stir in some chunks of avocado if you’re eating it right away, or leave it out if you’re doing the recipe as meal-prep for the week, adding the avocado when you go to eat it so it doesn’t turn brown.
Get the recipe from The Real Food Dietitians.
Dill Pickle Chickpea Salad
Thanks to the crunch and tang of chopped dill pickles, this chickpea salad is anything but boring. You can make the creamy dressing with vegan mayo or with tahini for a nuttier flavor.
Get the recipe from Essy Cooks.
Butter Bean Barley Chicken Salad
Here’s a loaded salad you’ll look forward to eating all week. It features a satiating combination of barley, butter beans, artichokes, chicken, herbs, capers, and crumbled cheese.
Get the recipe from Food by Maria.
Crispy Artichoke White Bean Salad
Unlike lettuce, shredded green cabbage can last several days in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep. If you like a crunch to you meals, then you’ll love how the cabbage, toasted almonds, and crispy parmesan-roasted artichoke hearts balance out the creamy white beans in this recipe.
Get the recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.
Seven Bean Salad With Chimichurri
Move over, three-bean salad — there’s a beanier salad in town! Six canned beans and frozen edamame load this salad with texture, flavor, fiber, and protein, all bound together with a vibrant chimichurri dressing.
Get the recipe from The View From Great Island.
Chipotle Corn and Bean Salad
Southwestern flavors season this hearty corn and bean salad, which is full of colorful veggies. Eat as a salad, or scoop up with tortilla chips as a fun snack or appetizer.
Get the recipe from Rachel Halldorson.
Lentil Tahini Salad
Lentil jumps from the soup pot to the salad bowl in this recipe. We love the tangy tahini lime dressing, as well as the addition of crunchy veggies, apple, and sunflower seeds.
Get the recipe from Ela Vegan.
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