Let’s not kid ourselves—meal prep usually means eating the same boring thing four days in a row while pretending you’re thriving. That’s exactly why this high-protein bean salad meal prep became my go-to: it’s colorful, crunchy, and actually edible after Day 2 (a miracle, honestly).
I first threw this chickpea and veggie salad together in a fridge-cleaning frenzy and accidentally made something worth repeating.
Now it’s a weekly staple—no microwave battles, no sad desk lunches, just a legit good vegetarian bean salad that does the meal prep thing without the emotional damage.
Bean Salad Meal Prep (High-Protein, No-Cook Wonder)
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon or spatula for mixing
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups shelled edamame if frozen, cooked and cooled
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ½ cup diced sweet onion
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1 cup crumbled or diced feta cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook and Cool Edamame: If using frozen shelled edamame, boil or steam it for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly.1 ½ cups shelled edamame
- Chop the Veggies: Dice the cucumber and onion, quarter the cherry tomatoes, and chop the parsley and olives. Lay it all out and admire your knife skills.1 cup diced cucumber, ½ cup diced sweet onion, 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, ½ cup chopped kalamata olives
- Mix the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cannellini beans, chickpeas, cooked edamame, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and parsley. Gently mix it all together.1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1 cup crumbled or diced feta cheese
- Whisk the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, and salt until smooth and emulsified.2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ tablespoon honey, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt
- Dress It Up: Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Use a spoon or spatula to toss gently, making sure everything gets coated without smashing the beans.
- Taste and Adjust: Give it a quick taste. Want more tang? Add a little more lemon juice or vinegar. Salt fiend? Go for it.
- Pack It Up: Spoon the salad into airtight meal prep containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Give it a good stir or shake before eating, since the dressing likes to settle at the bottom.
Bean Salad Meal Prep Like a Pro (a.k.a. I’ve Made This 87 Times and Lived to Tell the Tale)
Welcome to the part where I spill all the secrets that should be in the recipe card but aren’t—because we both know the real magic happens between the lines. Here’s your unofficial guide to making this high protein bean salad meal prep absolutely crush it every time.
🌿 Herb It Like You Mean It
Parsley is cute, but if you’ve got dill, basil, or chives hanging out in your fridge, toss them in. This salad doesn’t mind a personality change. Just… maybe skip the mint unless you’re feeling wild.
🧄 Garlic Level: Dangerously Good
Fresh garlic is a flavor bomb—but if you’re meal prepping for the week and don’t want to taste garlic at Thursday’s Zoom meeting, go for garlic powder. Or just own the vampire-repelling energy. Your call.
🧀 Feta Freedom
Feta is the classic, but don’t let it box you in. Goat cheese? Yes. Shredded cheddar? Weird, but honestly, still works. Vegan cheese? Go for it. Cheese is a suggestion, not a rule.
🌶️ Spice It Up, Baby
Want to level up? Toss in red pepper flakes, diced jalapeño, or a splash of hot sauce. Mild bean salad is fine… but spicy bean salad knows what it’s doing.
🥬 Bulk It Out
Feeling extra hungry or trying to impress someone with your lunch game? Add quinoa, couscous, brown rice, or even chopped kale. Suddenly it’s a grain bowl and you’re a lifestyle influencer.
🍋 Lemon Trick That Fixes Everything
This salad lasts in the fridge for days, but the dressing does settle. Give it a good toss and a squeeze of fresh lemon before eating—it’s like a salad spa treatment.
🥫 Beans: Mix & Match Mayhem
Use whatever beans you have. Pinto, black, kidney, even that mystery can in the back of the pantry. Just rinse them well unless you like bean sludge (no judgment).
🧴 Dressing on the Side? Nah.
Mix the dressing in, even for meal prep. The beans soak it up like little flavor sponges, and that’s the whole point. Dry bean salad is just… sadness in a bowl.
📦 Storage Hack
Store it in shallow containers so you don’t have to dig elbow-deep to find the good stuff. Give it a shake or flip before opening—it’s like a salad snow globe.
Make it once and you’ll get it. Make it twice and you’ll start judging all other salads. Make it three times? Congratulations—you’re officially That Person Who Brings the Good Stuff to potlucks.
