Italian Grinder Bean Salad

Easy and flavorful, this dairy free Italian Grinder Bean Salad has it all! Packed with protein and fiber, make this hearty bean salad recipe for your next week lunch meal prep.

Real talk. Getting back into the swing of having a few hours of my day to get work done while my older two are at school has been a game changer. That said I don’t want to waste any of my time prepping lunch and cleaning up from lunch prep each day which is why I have started batching my lunches for the week.

Some weeks it’s taco lunch bowls while other weeks I grill up a bunch of chicken thighs to make hummus bowls. Lately my obsession has been with this Italian Grinder Bean Salad.

It is quick and easy to make, loaded with fresh vegetables, and high in protein and fiber. Best of all, this salad will keep for 5 days and won’t get soggy.

Why You Will Love This Italian Bean Salad

I have made a few variations of dense bean salads lately to meal prep but I keep coming back to this Italian grinder inspired salad because it satisfies my Italian sub craving without having to actually make a sub.

This dense bean salad will quickly become a lunch prep favorite for a number of reasons but I think you will really love this salad because its:

• Packed with protein and fiber. The beans will keep you full and help your gut keep things moving.
• Meal prep perfection. This dish keeps for 5 days in the fridge without getting soggy.
• Versatile. You can swap out ingredients as needed or based on personal preference.

Dairy-Free Changes to Italian Bean Salad

This salad is naturally dairy free. None of the ingredients are swaps or alternatives.

To keep it dairy free I simply omitted mozzarella balls and Parmesan cheese which were commonly used in other variations of this recipe.

How to Make A Dense Bean Italian Grinder Salad

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Beans– A blend of chickpeas and cannellini beans make the base of this salad.
• Salami– Pick your favorite salami and chop it up nice and small.
• Bell Pepper- Any color, chopped into bite sized pieces.
• Tomatoes– I like to use grape tomatoes chopped into bite sized pieces.
• Banana Peppers– Chopped into small bits.
• Red onion– Also chopped into small bits.
• Fresh basil– Washed and sliced.
• Italian dressing– A blend of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and spices.

Step-by-Step Directions for Italian Grinder Bean Salad

• Rinse beans: Drain and rinse your beans and place into a large bowl.
• Chop veggies: Chop salami, bell pepper, tomatoes, banana peppers, red onion, and fresh basil to desired size and add to the bowl of beans.

• Make dressing: In a mason jar add olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh garlic, dijon mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy.
• Pour the dressing over the beans, salami, and vegetable and mix to coat.
• Serve or store based on your intended use.

Recipe Substitutions for Italian Bean Salad

I think what most people love about this recipe is the versatility. There are simple swaps or additions you can do to truly make this bean salad your own creation.

Beans:

• Navy beans
• White kidney beans
• Great northern beans

Meats:

• Deli turkey
• Ham chunks
• Pepperoni

Vegetables:

• Diced cucumber
• Pepperoncini
• Roasted red pepper
• Artichoke hearts
• Sliced olives

Helpful Kitchen Tools

I love that this is a no cook meal. All you have to do is rinse, chop, and shake so the tools I most often use when making this salad are:

• The can opener. Super simple, plus it stores in a drawer.
• A large mixing bowl. This is particularly helpful when you are coating the salad with the dressing.
• Cutting board. Since just about everything in this salad gets a chop, chop your cutting board will come in handy.

What do you eat with a dense bean salad?

Honestly I am usually scarfing a bowl of the bean salad down while I am feeding my 1 year old. So it is usually me shoveling in whatever I can in between the offerings I pour on his tray. And yes, he loves this salad as much as I do.

When I have a little more time to prep a full plate I eat this Italian bean salad with:

• Fresh fruit. Usually a chopped pear, mixed berries, or an apple on the side.
• A slice of toasted sourdough– typically topped with avocado and feta (and I do have to share that with the 1 and 3 year old).
• A chicken thigh. If I had a low protein breakfast or worked out I will pair my bean salad with a grilled chicken thigh.

How to Store Italian Grinder Bean Salad

There are two solid approaches to take with this bean salad recipe. Store in bulk or store in meal prep containers. Either way, this salad will keep for 5 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

For me, I prefer to keep this in one 8 cup container since I am home for lunch and can just scoop out a serving. But for my husband, I will usually scoop a few servings into meal prep containers for him to snag on his way to work.

FAQs About the recipe

High Protein Meal Prep Recipes to Make Next

Craving more filling, flavorful, and protein packed meal prep recipes? Here are some of my favorites!

If you tried this Italian Grinder Bean Salad recipe please let me know in the comments below!

You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!

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