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–+ servings
A bowl of Italian bean and kale salad with tuna.
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Italian Dense Bean and Kale Salad

A zesty dense bean salad with cannellini beans, kale, red peppers, artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, and optional tuna for extra protein, tossed in a zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for a meal prepped lunch! Ready in 15 minutes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 4 ounces Lacinato kale, about 4 cups
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup artichoke hearts, drained
  • ¼ cup red onion
  • ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained
  • 15 ounces cannellini beans, 1 regular sized can
  • 5 ounces tuna, optional
  • ½ cup croutons, crushed

Instructions

  • PREP: Chop red bell pepper. Thinly slice red onion. Slice cherry tomatoes. Remove stems from kale and massage. Chop into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice or tear basil. Drain and rinse cannellini beans. Drain tuna.
  • WHISK: Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and anchovy paste in a large bowl with a pinch of salt until smooth.
  • TOSS: Add kale, red bell pepper. cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red onion, parmesan cheese, and capers to the bowl and toss together with dressing. Then add beans. Break up the tuna into smaller chunks and gently fold in with the beans and rest of the salad.
  • SERVE: Just before serving, top with crushed croutons.

Notes

  • This dense bean salad won’t get mushy in the fridge, so it’s great for meal prepping ahead of time.
  • Chop the veggies all into similar sized pieces, about the size of the beans, for a better overall texture. 
  • To prep the kale, hold your fingers around the leafy part, then pull the stem out with your other hand. After that you can massage and chop the kale into thin strips.  
  • Use a vegetable peeler to shave flakes of parmesan. 
  • Substitute canned tuna for a second can of beans or chopped chicken. 
  • Substitute red pepper for yellow or orange. 
  • Substitute Cannellini beans for any other white bean.
  • Add the croutons right before serving. 
  • Salad is better after it chills and marinates in the fridge for a few hours.
  • Lasts 4-5 days in the fridge, and is best eaten cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 17gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 765mgPotassium: 267mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3461IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 4mg