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Two white bowls filled with colorful salad containing shredded cabbage, carrots, edamame, white beans, and chopped peanuts, placed on a wooden board with a small bowl of peanuts and a blue checked cloth.
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Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad Recipe with Cabbage

A hearty Dense Bean Salad Recipe featuring cannellini beans, edamame, and shredded cabbage tossed in savory peanut dressing. Perfect for meal prep, packed with protein and fiber, and stays fresh for days.
Prep Time25 minutes
Course: Salad
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 15 ounces
  • 1 cup edamame shelled
  • 1 cup cooked brown lentils
  • 14 ounces shredded cabbage about 5 cups or 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 1 large carrot shredded
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or almonds chopped (optional)

For the Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes or chili crisp
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter smooth or crunchy, natural works well
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener honey, maple syrup, or sugar

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add the cannellini beans, edamame, shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, and nuts if using. Toss gently to combine.
    1 can cannellini beans, 1 cup edamame, 14 ounces shredded cabbage, 1 large carrot, 4 green onions, 1/2 cup roasted peanuts or almonds
  • In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, chili flakes or chili crisp, peanut butter, and sweetener until smooth and well combined. If the dressing is too thick, you can add a little water if you'd like to thin it out (it kinds of depends on the peanut butter!)
    3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili flakes or chili crisp, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon sweetener
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more chili for heat or sweetener to balance.
  • Serve right away or tuck in the fridge for later.

Notes

Meal Prep Friendly: This salad is intentionally hearty and holds up well, making it great for meal prep.
Color Variation: Use a mix of green and purple cabbage if you like more color and texture.
Protein Boost: For extra protein, add grilled chicken, tofu, or leftover rotisserie chicken.
Nutrient Dense: Fiber, protein, veggies, all the things that we love! This is a salad that is meant to be filling and nutrient dense. When I need a big boost in fiber and vegetables and nutrient beans, I make this and eat on it for the next few days. I love it!
Fresh Veggie Add-Ins: If I'm not storing this long term I like to add some red bell pepper and cucumber to the salad, but those two things don't store more than a day or too.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2251IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg

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