18 Best Ingredients To Include In Your Next Dense Bean Salad

We love a lunch recipe that's healthy, easy to prepare, and lasts more than a single day in the fridge. Of course, salad sounds like a great option, but if you eat leafy green salads regularly, then you know that they go soggy after just a few hours of refrigeration. So, how are you supposed to work more veggies into your diet if making a salad always has to be a big production right before you eat it? Enter the dense bean salad, the culinary brainchild of recipe developer Violet Witchel. The recipe format went wildly viral on social media, with various content creators making their own versions of the dish.

A dense bean salad is just what it sounds like: a bean-based salad that utilizes dense ingredients that won't go soggy right away. This allows you to make a big batch of the salad at the start of the week and then work your way through it for several days in a row. It might just be one of the quickest, easiest meal prep hacks out there, and we especially love making a dense bean salad on super busy weeks. However, some ingredients are better than others when you're trying to avoid a soggy, wilted texture in your salad. Choose a few of the options below, made with ingredients you probably already have on hand, and you're guaranteed a non-soggy, dense bean salad that will make eating healthy a breeze.

A dense bean salad should start with the beans themselves. After all, since they'll make up a decent portion of the salad, it's important to pick bean varieties you already know you like. For us, there's no better bean addition than chickpeas. These beans are especially dense, so you know they're going to hold up well even after being doused with dressing. Their firmness gives them a nice bite, which makes for a heartier and more texturally interesting salad.

Roasting the chickpeas will give them a more complex flavor as well as a nice crisp. However, that crispness may be gone after they've been hanging out in the fridge for a day or two. We prefer to marinate our chickpeas to give them a more pronounced flavor before adding them to any salad.

If you've ever stored a salad comprising cucumbers in a fridge for a few days, then you probably know that the ingredient is prone to sogginess. This is because cucumbers have a high water content. After you cut them open, all of that water seeping out can create a less-than-crunchy texture that you probably don't want to introduce to your dense bean salad. However, as a crunchy, refreshing vegetable, it does make for a delicious addition to any salad. So, what's the solution?

To prevent your cucumber salad from getting soggy, you just have to remember to remove the seeds before slicing and adding the vegetable to your bowl. Since most of the moisture is found in the seeds, removing them ensures that the cucumbers in your salad will stay crisper for longer.

Just because you're making a salad doesn't mean you have to stick to just fruits and vegetables. When you're looking for an easy way to incorporate a ton of flavor into your dense bean salad, adding pepperoni to the mix can do the job just right. Pepperoni is a supremely flavorful deli meat, so it only takes a bit to transform your salad. Not only will it provide meatiness and spice, but it'll also contribute a nice, luscious fattiness to the salad that will make it taste super decadent.

To keep things simple, just throw whole pepperoni slices into the salad. However, if you want to create a more uniform, bite-sized consistency, then consider quartering the pepperoni slices. You can also use mini pepperoni to distribute the ingredients evenly.

If you're the kind of person who likes spice in your salad, look no further than jalapeños to give your dense bean salad the kick of flavor it needs. Yes, jalapeños provide spice — especially if you include the seeds — but they also add a lovely, green, vegetal flavor to the dish. This can help bring an element of freshness to the salad, along with that much-needed dose of heat.

You can go a few different routes when it comes to adding jalapeños to your dense bean salad. Use fresh jalapeños if you want more of that fresh, green flavor. On the other hand, pickled jarred jalapeños work better when you're looking for a way to add acidity to the mix, although they may not taste quite as fresh.

You can add just about any type of cheese to a dense bean salad if you want to give it a hint of creaminess. That being said, we like some types of cheese better in a salad than others. Perhaps our favorite cheese for a dense bean salad is feta. 

First of all, feta is a rather dry and crumbly cheese, which means it will hold its structure even after soaking in dressing for a while. But it's not just about the cheese's consistency — it also adds a nice acidic element to your salad, which instantly elevates the dish. Feta is also known for being somewhat salty, which adds even more flavor to a dense bean salad. You can always get pre-crumbled feta cheese, but we like the whole, intact, fresh blocks better for a refreshing flavor.

Trying to capture a Mexican or southwestern vibe in your dense bean salad? Then, you need to add some corn to the mix. Corn is one of the heartiest veggies you can add to your salad since it holds its shape and doesn't get soggy easily. If you really want the corn to add a nice crunch to your salad, your best bet is to use raw corn. Just shave the kernels off of a cob or two, and you'll have an easy, crunchy addition to your salad.

However, if you don't care quite as much about the texture but want to taste the sweetness of the corn, you may be better off using the canned variety. This is also a great option when corn isn't in season. Just make sure you drain the can before adding it to the mix, and you'll have the base for an excellent dense bean salad.

If you ask us, onions are essential to a good salad. They add sharpness and freshness you just can't achieve with other ingredients on their own. There are seemingly numerous alternatives when it comes to the onion additions you could use in your salad. Scallions can be a good option, of course, as can shallots. 

We happen to prefer red onion, though, for its super-pungent flavor. This flavor can cut through rich, fatty dressing to elevate the taste of your salad. So, what's the best way to incorporate red onion into your dense bean salad? We like to keep things simple and use finely chopped red onion since those small pieces aren't likely to become soggy after a couple of days in the fridge.

Olives are one of the best fridge staples to have on hand for so many uses. First of all, they're excellent for snacking or for placing onto charcuterie boards to add an acidic element to the mix. You can include them in pasta dishes and even dips for a creamy texture and salty flavor. However, one of our absolute favorite uses for olives is adding them to a dense bean salad. That's because olives add so much to a salad: a soft, creamy texture, acidity, saltiness, and complexity that could only come from this rich ingredient.

Chopped olives are a great option here if you want to get its flavor in every bite. Olive tapenade can work well, too, if you're treating it as more of a dressing. If you're using olives with pits, though, just make sure you remove them before incorporating them into the salad.

Sometimes, you want beans to contribute a ton of flavor to your dense bean salad. At other times, though, you might crave a milder flavor that takes a backseat to the other delicious ingredients in the mix. When that's the case, navy beans may be what you're looking for. Of course, you can spice navy beans with an especially delicious dressing or combination of seasonings, but we most prize them for their creamy texture over their rather plain flavor.

Although these beans tend to be somewhat soft and creamy, they still hold their own in a dense bean salad, even after a few days of hanging out in the fridge. Buy canned navy beans for a super easy meal prep, or make them from scratch if you're on a tight food budget or just prefer the texture of freshly cooked beans.

We've already discussed how delicious pepperoni can be in a dense bean salad, so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that salami works just as well. Salami might not pack the same level of spice, but it's still one of the more flavorful deli meats you could include in the mix. Opt for a more standard, plain salami if you just want it to contribute fattiness and salt to the salad.

Alternatively, look for a pepper-crusted or more flavorful variety of salami if you're looking for even more complexity in your dish. If you want the salami to be well incorporated into the salad, it's a good idea to either cut it into strips or dice it finely. Either way, you're in for a salty, decadent treat in salad form.

When you think of a dense bean salad, what kinds of beans first come to mind? You might think of pinto beans, chickpeas, or even navy beans. But if you're like a lot of people out there, green beans probably aren't at the top of the list. However, they make an excellent, particularly crunchy addition to dense bean salads. 

They have a mild, vegetal flavor that can provide a nice lightness to the dish, but their flavor isn't so strong that they'll overpower other ingredients in the mix. Fresh green beans are probably the best option for this since canned green beans tend to be quite soggy already. Blanch them for a few minutes for the best results, or keep them raw if you want them super crunchy.

Bell peppers are one of the heartier vegetables you could include in your dense bean salad, which is why we're such a fan of the mild ingredient. A lot of peppers pack a decent amount of heat, so if you're sensitive to spice, avoid putting them in your salad. However, bell peppers aren't spicy and even have a mild sweetness to them, so basically, anyone can add them to their favorite dense bean salad recipes. Plus, they can be quite colorful, which automatically makes the dish more appealing.

Again, your best bet is to chop your bell peppers before adding them to the mix if you want to avoid any future sogginess. Choose a green bell pepper if you want a greener, fresher taste, or opt for yellow, orange, or red bell peppers when you prefer more color and sweetness.

One of the things we love most about beans is that they are so incredibly filling. That's certainly true when it comes to black beans, which have a hearty texture that makes you feel like you're eating something substantial, even when it comes to a salad. That makes them a great candidate for your next dense bean salad, whether you choose them as your one and only bean variety in the recipe or combine them with other types of beans.

Canned black beans are great when you're pinched for time, but making black beans from scratch may result in an even more delicious finished product. Simply boil them in water with some salt, or try this recipe for Cuban black beans if you really want to elevate the flavor of the base of your dense bean salad.

Deli meats might be a great option when you want to add fattiness and flavor to your dense bean salad, but what about when you're looking for a leaner protein option? That's when it's time to turn to rotisserie chicken. This is a great dense bean salad hack because it utilizes leftovers from another meal and doesn't require any cooking. Plus, it can cut down on food waste if you wouldn't otherwise use that leftover rotisserie chicken.

Don't want to buy a whole rotisserie chicken? No worries. You can also add cooked chicken breast or thighs to your salad if you're making a smaller batch. Either way, it'll make your dense bean salad heartier, more filling, and packed with plenty of protein.

There are few ingredients that can add more flavor and texture to a dish than sundried tomatoes. They have that slightly sweet flavor tomatoes are known for, of course. However, because their flavor is so concentrated, they also offer a complex, umami note that makes them an unexpectedly heavy lifter in just about any recipe. Sundried tomatoes are also quite chewy, which offers an interesting textural quality to your salad. 

However, because of their chewiness, you'll want to make sure you chop them into small pieces so they're well-distributed throughout the salad. A jar of sundried tomatoes isn't just good for the tomatoes themselves, though — you can also use the oil from the jar to create an ultra-flavorful dressing for your salad. It's a great excuse to always keep a jar of sundried tomatoes on hand.

A lot of people think of broccoli as a vegetable that's primarily meant to be cooked, whether they prefer it roasted or steamed. But if you're into crunchy vegetables that won't easily get soggy in a dense bean salad, then consider adding some raw broccoli to the mix. Now, do you want to incorporate huge florets into your salad? Probably not. 

These large pieces of broccoli may make it more difficult to get the bite-sized spoonfuls you're looking for. Therefore, you should chop the broccoli before adding it to the salad. Not only is broccoli good for you, making your salad more nutritious, but it also offers a bitter note that contributes to the complexity of the dish. Add in that irresistible crunch, and you might just start viewing this vegetable in a whole new light.

Who says you have to stick with the same beans every time you're making a dense bean salad? When you're looking for a way to switch things up and make your salad more interesting, consider adding edamame to your recipe. Soybeans have an interesting, unusual flavor you won't get from other types of beans, but they're mild enough that they can meld well with a variety of other ingredients. 

We especially like including them in a salad with scallions, cucumbers, and maybe even some seaweed. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top, and you have a legendary lunch. For the easiest salad-making process possible, opt for frozen shelled edamame. That way, you won't have to worry about shelling them yourself while you're making the salad.

For those who love a creamy touch in their otherwise fresh, veggie-forward salad, cheese is an absolute must-add ingredient. But what kind of cheese should you opt for? Along with feta, we're partial to mozzarella, which offers a somewhat milder, chewier, and creamier experience in a dense bean salad.

Of course, you can use any type of mozzarella you have on hand, but bocconcini, otherwise known as mozzarella pearls, is a particularly good option. They're quite small, making them ideal for incorporating into a salad, where they're meant to be enjoyed in a spoonful with other ingredients. This kind of cheese also holds up well in dressings and only gets more delicious after a night in the fridge. Whether you're trying to make a heartier, dense bean salad or you're just always craving cheese, this is a must-add ingredient.