Description
A hearty and fresh bean salad featuring a dense mix of beans, crisp peppers, and creamy feta, perfect for summer meals, potlucks, and easy make-ahead sides.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (450g) cooked mixed beans (chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans), rinsed if canned
- 1 cup (150g) crumbled full-fat feta cheese
- 2 medium bell peppers (red and yellow), diced (roasted or fresh)
- ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup (15g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or lemon juice as substitute)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Optional: toasted pine nuts for crunch
Instructions
- Prep the beans: Drain and rinse canned beans thoroughly under cold water. Let drain completely. If cooking beans from scratch, cook until tender but firm.
- Roast the peppers (optional): Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Roast whole bell peppers on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes until skins blister. Cover with foil or place in a bowl to steam for 10 minutes. Peel skins, remove seeds, and dice. Alternatively, dice fresh peppers for crunch.
- Chop the veggies: Dice roasted or fresh peppers, finely chop red onion, roughly chop parsley, and mince garlic.
- Mix the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Adjust vinegar or oil to taste.
- Toss everything together: In a large mixing bowl, combine beans, peppers, onion, parsley, and crumbled feta. Pour dressing over and gently fold to coat evenly without breaking beans or feta.
- Chill and marinate: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to let flavors meld.
- Final taste and serve: Stir salad before serving, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: Flavorful Viral Dense Bean, Bean Salad, Feta Salad, Summer Salad