Chipotle Dense Bean Salad Recipe
One of my chronic illnesses is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and another is likely Celiac Disease (though I’m still working on that diagnosis, I’m certainly at least gluten intolerant!). I also have some sensory issues with food. That said, feeding myself had been a big challenge throughout my adulthood.
Last summer I was scrolling through TikTok and saw a woman posting about how every week she meal preps a dense bean salad. They consist of beans, a protein source, and a few vegetables with a vinegar based dressing. I decided to give it a try, and literally over a year later I am still making a dense bean salad every week.
They are incredibly high in fiber, give you a good amount of protein and carbs, and with the right dressing can also give you the healthy fats you need as well. I eat one for lunch every day and stay full for hours. It’s been a game changer for me in meeting my nutrient goals and helping me get to my fitness goals as well.
This week I made one of the best flavors I’ve come up with yet, and thought I’d share! I used pretty simple ingredients, and all together it took me about 20 minutes to prepare. The ingredients are also affordable, so it’s a win win.
Ingredients:
2 cans of chickpeas
1 can of low sodium black beans
3 bell peppers
1/2 red onion
1/2 lb of roast deli chicken
1 cup frozen corn
Optional: Cotija cheese
Dressing:
1 can of chili peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp light mayo
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Boil or microwave the corn to thaw. I used the fire roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe’s, which was excellent.
Chop bell peppers into bite sized pieces
Dice red onion
Dice deli chicken
Drain and rinse black beans and chickpeas
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
Add dressing ingredients to a blender, I used my nutribullet. Blend until smooth.
Pour dressing over the other ingredients and combine thoroughly
Makes 6 two cup servings. I put these into meal prep containers for easy grabbing throughout the week.
Optionally, crumble cotija cheese on top just before eating!
Let me know if you give this a try! It’s easy, cheap, delicious, and so good for you!
-Sadie
