Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad

25 min · Easy · Serves 1

630 kcal per serving · 26g protein

Violet Witchel's dense bean salad went viral on one simple idea: no lettuce, just beans, finely chopped vegetables, cheese and herbs packed so tightly that every spoonful is a full bite. This Mediterranean version pairs white beans and chickpeas with cucumber, red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and sirene in a sharp oregano and red wine vinegar dressing. Ten minutes in the dressing and lunch is ready, no cooking at all.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 10 ml Lemon juice
• 1 clove Garlic clove, grated
• ½ tsp Dried oregano
• 1 g Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper
• 100 g White beans (canned), drained and rinsed
• 100 g Chickpeas (canned), drained and rinsed
• 100 g Cucumber
• Red bell pepper × ½
• Red onion × ⅓
• 20 g Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 20 g Kalamata olives, pitted
• 15 g Fresh parsley
• 6 leaves Fresh basil leaves
• 50 g Sirene (or feta)

Method

1. Whisk the dressing in the bowl

   Whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, grated garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper together in a large bowl for 30 seconds, until you have a cloudy dressing.

2. Add the beans and chickpeas

   Tip the drained white beans and chickpeas into the dressing and stir until every bean is coated.

3. Dice the vegetables small

   Cut the cucumber, red pepper and red onion into small dice, about the size of a chickpea, and add the diced vegetables to the bowl.

4. Chop the tomatoes and olives

   Chop the sun-dried tomatoes roughly and slice the olives into rings, then add the sun-dried tomatoes and olives to the bowl.

5. Chop the herbs

   Chop the parsley leaves and tender stems and the basil leaves finely, and add the herbs to the bowl.

6. Add the sirene and fold

   Crumble the sirene into the bowl in rough chunks and fold everything together with a large spoon until the dressing coats the vegetables and the beans.

7. Leave the salad to marinate

   Leave the salad to stand for 10 minutes so the beans soak up the dressing, then stir once more and taste for salt.

More to cook

• Pasta Salad with Marinated Chickpeas and Herbs75 min
• Grilled Vegetable & White Cheese Salad40 min
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad20 min
• Chushki Burek (Fried Stuffed Peppers)70 min