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Dense Bean Salad

Recipe created by Roxana Ehsani, M.S., RD, CSSD, LDN
Try our spin on the viral dense bean salad with our Mediterranean Sweetpotato Dense Bean Salad! 🥗🍠 Packed with zaatar-spiced sweetpotatoes, tofu, hearty beans, and a rainbow of crisp veggies—all topped with a tangy, creamy labneh dressing. This dish is bursting with Mediterranean-inspired flavor. 
Make it over the weekend, store in individual containers, and enjoy all week long. This salad makes it easy to get plenty of fiber, protein, and veggies all in one meal. 🍠 Sweetpotatoes add a burst of sweetness to each forkful and are a complex carb (aka the good kind!) supplying you with long-lasting fuel, filling fiber, and vitamin C and A. 💪🧡  
This salad tastes even better after it has time to sit in the fridge—so it’s a winner on day 3 or 4! 

Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 401 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium sweetpotatoes cut into cubes
  • 14 oz 14-oz extra firm tofu cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided 
  • 2 tbsp zaatar divided
  • 1-15 oz can of white beans rinsed and drained 
  • 1-15 oz can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper diced
  • 2 persian cucumbers diced
  • 1½ cup cherry tomatoes chopped in half 
  • ½ small red onion diced 
  • ¼ cup purple olives chopped

Dressing

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup labneh
  • 6 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 3 cloves of garlic

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with foil.
  • In a medium bowl, toss sweetpotato chunks with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp zaatar. Transfer to one prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. 
  • In a separate medium bowl, toss tofu chunks with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp zaatar. Transfer to second baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
  • Cool both to room temperature. 
  • In a large bowl, add cooled sweetpotatoes, tofu, beans, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, and olives. 
  • To make the dressing, in a blender, add olive oil, labneh, white vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Drizzle over salad and toss until well-combined.
  • Optional step: Transfer one serving to single serve containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Notes

Serving size: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts
Dense Bean Salad
Serving Size
 
1
Amount per Serving
Calories
401
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
25
g
38
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
 
0.002
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
17
g
Cholesterol
 
1
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
219
mg
10
%
Potassium
 
790
mg
23
%
Carbohydrates
 
35
g
12
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
9
g
10
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
 
16972
IU
339
%
Vitamin C
 
85
mg
103
%
Calcium
 
128
mg
13
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
Net Carbohydrates
 
29
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 11gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 790mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 16972IUVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 4mgNet Carbohydrates: 29g