In search of a scrumptious new meal-prep lunch recipe that’s excessive in each protein and fiber? Look no additional than my 4-Bean Israeli Couscous Salad. It comes collectively in about half-hour and is filled with greens and plant-based protein. I really like making a giant batch of this vegan salad on Sunday, in order that I can take pleasure in a wholesome lunch all week lengthy. That is my model of a dense bean salad that additionally options chewy couscous and quite a lot of recent greens. The dressing is flavorful and actually ties every thing collectively.
As a lot as I really like summer season, as soon as the children are again at school, I’m prepared for fall. Fortunately, we’ve been having some cool crisp mornings recently, and it’s getting me excited for a change in seasons. It doesn’t matter what season we’re in ,although, I at all times love utilizing recent herbs and veggies in my recipes. This loaded bean salad is hearty and filling, however recent and flavorful. Serve with fruit and a facet of crackers for a wholesome, plant-based lunch.
Why You’ll Love This Protein-Packed Salad
- Simple to make – I really like utilizing couscous in my recipes as a result of it’s so quick and straightforward to make. The Israeli couscous solely takes about 10 minutes to arrange, and it provides a lot to this recipe. Canned beans and recent veggies additionally make this recipe fast and handy.
- Full of vitamins – This dense bean salad is filled with so many nutritional vitamins and vitamins, together with iron, Vitamin B, magnesium, and potassium. Beans additionally comprise a excessive quantity of each fiber and protein, making them an ideal plant-based ingredient so as to add to your weight loss program.
- Nice for meal prep – You may make this recipe as a giant salad to share at a potluck, however I additionally discover it’s actually nice for meal prep. I wish to portion the salad into glass containers after which retailer them within the fridge for simple lunches throughout the week. They need to final about 4-5 days.
Why Your Physique Will Love This Meal-Prep Lunch Recipe
Fiber Consumption – Beans are filled with protein, fiber, iron, and folate. Fiber is an important a part of our diets as a result of it helps maintain issues transferring easily via the digestive tract, which in flip reduces the chance of colon most cancers and associated ailments. It additionally helps decrease unhealthy ldl cholesterol by binding to it within the digestive tract, which prevents its absorption into the bloodstream, making it simpler to your physique to excrete it. Beans are notably wealthy in soluble fiber, which may also help decrease ldl cholesterol, improve digestion, stabilize blood sugar ranges, and help weight administration.
Blood Sugar Regulation – Beans are wealthy in fiber and protein, which contribute to their low glycemic index. This implies they digest slowly and don’t trigger blood sugar ranges to spike or rise too shortly. This makes beans a wholesome alternative for people with diabetes who have to handle their blood sugar ranges extra successfully.
4 Bean Israeli Couscous Salad Recipe Elements
- Beans – This recipe requires 4 cans of your favourite beans, which is the same as about six cups of cooked beans. You should use one number of bean, or combine it up should you like. I used a combination of sunshine kidney beans, nice northern beans, black beans, and chickpeas. Edamame would even be an ideal addition.
- Couscous – I used Israeli, or pearl, couscous for this recipe as a result of it’s bigger than common couscous and has a chewy texture that goes nicely with the beans. You may simply substitute common couscous or one other grain you favor. Quinoa or farro could be nice choices.
- Greens – This recipe is nice as a result of you should use nearly any greens you’ve gotten available. I used a combination of cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, crimson onion, and inexperienced onion. Different choices embrace: celery, carrot, radish, or chopped up recent kale.
- Dressing – The flavorful dressing is made proper within the serving bowl with components which are principally pantry staples. These embrace: olive oil, crimson wine vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, dried oregano, garlic, chopped parsley, and diced pepperoncini. You may even add a splash of the pepperoncini juice to the dressing should you like.
How To Make Excessive-Protein Dense Bean Salad
- Cook dinner couscous in response to bundle instructions and permit it to chill for a couple of minutes. Add the entire dressing components to a big mixing bowl and whisk till nicely mixed. Add within the cooled couscous, together with the entire beans. Combine every thing and let the beans and couscous marinate within the dressing for a couple of minutes when you put together the greens.
- Add the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and crimson onion, and blend the salad nicely. Give it a style and modify any seasonings wanted. 4-bean salad might be served instantly or saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Recipe Steadily Requested Questions
- This recipe is already vegan and gluten-free.
- What sort of beans needs to be used? You should use any beans that you just like. I used black beans, chickpeas, nice northern beans, and kidney beans. I’m operating a couple of minutes late; my earlier assembly is operating over. Edamame beans, lentils, black eyed peas, or pinto beans would additionally work nicely.
- What sort of greens are on this recipe? I used cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, and crimson onion, however this salad is nice as a result of you’ll be able to just about throw in any recent veggies you’ve gotten available.
- How lengthy do leftovers final? If saved in an air-tight container within the fridge, leftovers ought to final about 4-5 days.
- How ought to this dense bean salad be loved? I wish to eat it by itself, simply with a spoon, however you can even eat it with tortilla chips, crackers, or wraps.
Have a query I didn’t reply? Ask me within the remark part beneath, and I’ll get again to you ASAP!
Wanting For Extra Vegetarian Bean Packed Recipes?
Three-Bean Salad with Basil French dressing
4 Bean Israeli Couscous Salad
Complete Time: 32 minutes
Yield: 4-6
Weight loss plan: Vegan
Description
In search of a scrumptious new meal prep lunch recipe that’s excessive in each protein and fiber? Look no additional than my 4 Bean Israeli Couscous Salad. It comes collectively in about half-hour and is filled with greens and plant primarily based protein. I really like making a giant batch of this vegan salad on Sunday, in order that I can take pleasure in a wholesome lunch all week lengthy. That is my model of a dense bean salad that additionally incorporates chewy couscous and many recent veggies. The dressing is flavorful and actually ties every thing collectively.
- 1 cup dry Israeli couscous
- 4 (15 oz) cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used chickpeas, white beans, kidney beans and black beans)
- 1 1/2 cups diced cucumber
- 1 1/2 cups diced tomato
- 2 medium sized bell peppers, diced (I used one crimson and one yellow)
- 1/2 cup diced crimson onion
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup additional virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup crimson wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons recent lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped peperoncini
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced inexperienced onion
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Cook dinner couscous in response to bundle instructions and permit to chill for a couple of minutes. Add the entire dressing components to a big mixing bowl and whisk till nicely mixed. Add within the cooled couscous, together with the entire beans. Combine every thing collectively and let the beans and couscous marinate for a couple of minutes within the dressing when you put together the greens.
- Add the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper and crimson onion and blend salad collectively nicely. Give it a style and modify any seasonings wanted. 4 bean salad might be served instantly, or saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 12 minutes
- Class: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: American
