Dense Bean Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/022ee521-5421-433d-bd53-56ec6e4e738d
Original source: https://www.veganricha.com/dense-bean-salad/
Recipe image: https://www.veganricha.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dbs-veganricha-1903.jpg

This Dense Bean Salad keeps you full for hours! Black beans, lentils, veggies, kale, seeds and a creamy, lemony dressing. It's packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants in every bite! (gluten-free, options for soy-free, nut-free)
Yield: 4
Prep time: PT25M
Total time: PT25M

Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
- 15 ounce can brown lentils or green lentils (rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils)
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (chopped small, or more, to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (chopped small, or more, to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (chopped small)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (or more, to taste)
- 2 cups loosely packed chopped kale
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt (, see notes for sub )
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pepper flakes (or a mix of pepper flakes and black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions (cilantro, or other fresh herbs of choice)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce or chili oil

Instructions
1. [Prepare the dense bean salad.] Rinse and drain the beans and lentils, if you haven't already. You can also cook both from scratch. See the recipe notes for those instructions.
2. [Prepare the dense bean salad.] Chop all of the vegetables and set them aside. Chop everything into small, similarly-sized pieces, so no one vegetable stands out too much. You want this salad to have an even texture, so chop everything to about the size of the lentils or black beans. Finely chop the kale and cilantro, or whatever herbs you're using. If you don't like cilantro, simply leave it out or replace it with another fresh herb, such as parsley. Add the beans, lentils, chopped vegetables, kale, herbs, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl.
3. [Make the creamy dressing.] In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients except the hot sauce or chili oil. Mix well, then taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, black pepper, heat, or fresh herbs, if needed. Then, drizzle the hot sauce or chili oil over the dressing, and gently swirl it in.
4. [Put it together.] You can either keep the dressing and salad separate until you're ready to serve, which works especially well if you're taking it to a picnic, or pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated right now.
5. [Put it together.] Taste the finished salad and adjust the seasoning with more salt, spices, herbs, or lemon juice, if needed. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors can meld really well. The salad becomes even more flavorful the next day. Serve with toasted sourdough, garlic bread, tortilla chips, or pita crisps. Or, spoon it into a warm pita or tacos or wraps for a hearty meal.