Dense Bean Salad with Chicken Sausage

Name: Dense Bean Salad with Chicken Sausage
Prep time: 20
Cook time: 6
Total time: 26
Yield: 1
Ingredients: package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds; 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained; 15-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained; 15-ounce can great northern beans, rinsed and drained; bell pepper, chopped; diced pepperoncini; red onion, diced; cherry tomatoes, quartered; thinly sliced Persian cucumbers; chopped fresh basil and parsley; extra-virgin olive oil; red wine vinegar; whole-grain Dijon mustard; large garlic clove, minced; Juice of ½ lemon; honey; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 6 min | Servings: 1

Appetizers and Snacks

Italian Herb

America is in the middle of a full-blown protein obsession. Cottage cheese has become a lifestyle, every snack aisle is packed with protein bites, and beans have suddenly found themselves starring in one of the internet’s biggest recipe trends: the dense bean salad. Fortunately, this is one viral recipe that’s actually worth the hype.

This Dense Bean Salad with Chicken Sausage elevates the trend while somehow making a hearty bean salad feel surprisingly refreshing. Three kinds of beans provide a hearty base, while Italian Herb Chicken Sausage adds savory protein along with notes of fennel, basil, and Calabrian chili. Toss in crisp summer vegetables and a bright homemade vinaigrette, and you’ve got a colorful salad that’s equally at home as a cookout side, a satisfying lunch, or a meal-prep staple for the week ahead.

See Recipe

Dense Bean Salad with Italian Herb Chicken Sausage. — Frame Grabber 1.6.4

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

Dense Bean Salad

1 package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 bell pepper, chopped

⅓ cup diced pepperoncini

⅓ red onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

¾ cup thinly sliced Persian cucumbers

¼ cup chopped fresh basil and parsley

Dressing

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove, minced

Juice of ½ lemon

1 teaspoon honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 6 min | Servings: 1

Cook the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp around the edges. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Prepare the salad: While the sausage cooks, rinse and drain the beans. Chop the bell pepper, pepperoncini, red onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs. Add everything to a large mixing bowl.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, whole-grain Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, honey, and a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Assemble the salad: Add the cooked sausage to the bowl with the vegetables and beans. Pour the dressing over the top and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.

Serve: Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

tags: Cookout Healthy High-Protein Meal-Prep