Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad with Tangy Dill Dressing
Stop overthinking lunch. And make a Hugh Jass salad. Specifically, a lettuce-less salad that is full of hearty veggies, stays crisp throughout the week and makes you excited for lunch. Entering the chat: kale and cannellini bean salad.
Erica’s Thoughts
I love kale. I know, how cliché. A registered dietitian that loves kale. Plus, you’re probably thinking there’s no way that people LOVE kale. I know I know, would I rather be eating an ice cream sundae? Maybe. But I truly do adore kale. The nutrition in kale is unmatched, but more than that, I love its versatility and that it’s heartier and can stand up to ‘denser’ ingredients like beans and grains far better than lettuce can. Kale leaves don’t wilt and sog like lettuce; in fact, I think it gets better, softer, and easier to eat as it sits and marinates with all the other lovely ingredients.
And speaking of nutrition powerhouses, let’s not overlook the other gorgeous contender in the battle of most nutritious: beans. A dietitian who adores beans!? Gah, stop the clichés already. But how could you not when just 1 cup cooked white kidney beans boasts 11 grams of fiber and 17 grams of plant-based protein. If you ask me, raw kale and creamy white beans are a match made in heaven. Throw in some briny veggies, mozzarella pearls, and herbaceous dressing and we’re TALKIN.
This white bean kale salad gives dense bean salad vibes- aka a salad that is more ‘dense’ and filling than a typical lettuce-based salad. At my house, we eat this for our main dish paired with garlic bread, or I’ll toss in a cup of cooked quinoa and enjoy it as a light lunch throughout the week.
What You’ll Need to Make Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad
Tuscan or curly kale: I prefer Tuscan kale (also called dino kale or lacinato kale) but curly kale works as well.
Persian cucumbers: These mini cukes bring a fresh crunch and are seedless, so no watery salad here.
Grape tomatoes: Sweet and juicy little bursts of flavor; cherry tomatoes work too.
Beans: I use one can of cannellini beans and one can of white beans, you can use two of the same kind if your prefer.
Briny things: kalamata olives and pepperoncinis add healthy fats and nutrients while also packing a punch of vinegar-y flavah!
Mozzarella pearls: If you can find them, go for the really small mozzarella ‘pearls’, not balls. You get more of them and they blend into the salad seamlessly so you get a little cheese in nearly every bite.
Mustard dill dressing: This creamy dill dressing features fresh garlic and dill, dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a touch of honey or maple syrup. Use good olive oil and whatever fresh herbs you have on hand!
How to Make Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad
Wash kale and use a salad spinner or clean kitchen towel to pat dry. Remove the ribs from the kale, slice the leaves into thin ribbons and place in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and sprinkle of kosher salt, and use your hands to massage for 2-3 minutes until glossy and tender.
Add cucumbers, tomatoes, cannellini beans, white beans, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and mozzarella pearls to the bowl.
Whisk or shake together mustard dill dressing until emulsified. Pour over the salad and toss well to coat every bite.
Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container for meal prep—this salad holds up beautifully for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Variation Ideas
- Cheese: Swap the mozzarella pearls for crumbled feta or shaved parmesan
- Protein: Add diced roasted chicken, salmon, or steak or to up the protein but keep it vegetarian add cooked quinoa, edamame or crispy tofu cubes.
- Crunchy add-ins: Toss in toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts or slivered almonds.
- Veggies: other veggies that I think would work fabulously here are marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and/or bell peppers.
- Salad Dressing: dill vinaigrette (pictured), lemon vinaigrette, creamy tahini dressing or a classic vinaigrette with white balsamic vinegar would all work well.
- Seasoning: the dressing does a wonderful job of providing a ton of flavor but you can adjust the overall flavors with a pinch of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and/or add a big pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a kick!
Expert Tips
- Massage the kale! It’s the key to a tender, flavorful base.
- Rinse and drain canned beans well to avoid excess sodium and a mushy texture.
- This salad tastes even better after sitting for a few hours as the flavors meld.
- A salad is as good as the ingredients you use. Use good quality ingredients like in-season tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, fresh garlic, good-quality olive oil and lots of herbs!
FAQs
Stays good 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. The kale and cucumber do soften, but I ate this salad every day for a week!
Cannellini beans are a type of white bean with a creamy texture and mild flavor. You can use Great Northern beans, navy beans, or even chickpeas if that’s what you have.
Omit the mozzarella pearls (or use a vegan cheese alternative) and use maple syrup in the dressing instead of honey.
A couple thoughts! My favorite way: toss in 1-2 cups cooked quinoa, this adds even more fiber and protein. I also love this salad paired with a hunk of garlic bread or an animal-based protein like chicken, fish or steak.
Psh, who needs Erewhon market when you can make the best kale salad at home for a serious fraction of the cost!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad with Tangy Dill Dressing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings as a main dish, 8 as a side dish 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Fresh, hearty, and make-ahead friendly, this kale and cannellini bean salad is a lovely vegetarian dinner or meal prep lunch.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan or curly kale, ribs removed and sliced into thin ribbons
- 3 Persian cucumbers, cubed
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1/2 cup pepperoncinis, thinly sliced
- 8oz mozzarella pearls
- mustard dill dressing
Instructions
- Remove the ribs from the kale, slice the leaves into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and pinch of salt and use your hands to massage the kale for a few minutes until it is glossy and tender.
- Add cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, olives, pepperoncinis and mozzarella pearls. Vigorously whisk or shake together the mustard dill dressing. Pour dressing all over the salad and toss well to combine.
- I love this as meal prep lunches. Sometimes I’ll add a cup of cooked quinoa for more protein, fiber and bulk or some animal protein like shredded chicken. Enjoy!
Notes
Leftovers keep great for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, answers to frequently asked questions and ingredient information.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe – about 2 cups salad
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 917.6 mg
- Fat: 21.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.4 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 31.3 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
I already shared in Instagram how this had made it into my weekly meal prep rotation. I work in software so I am always thinking how to improve process, workflow, etc. One thing I have noticed (not a you problem at all) but how when I track in MyFitnessPal I import your ingredients it goes all wonky and I spend more time editing it. This proposed solution would also only impact those of us that track and use trackers that have a scanning functionality. But if you could take your nutrition information>generate a barcode>allows for quick scanning and upload. Just a crazy thought when you aren’t busy creating custom guess who games for your family 😉
Thanks for bringing this to my attention Jill, I had no idea. Are you pasting in the URL to the post or copy pasting the ingredients??
It depends on how I input it into the app based on how the recipe is written. For example, if it says a knob of ginger instead of copying the URL that contains the actual recipe, I will just copy ingredients and then paste it into the build a recipe feature and edit from there. If it looks pretty straightforward with ingredients and measurements, then within the app there is a feature to paste the URL directly within the app. The app then uses AI to scan and extract ingredients and for the most part its pretty accurate. I have just learned which recipes will quickly copy over correctly vs the ones I need to manually enter. Again this is totally a me problem and not a you problem. When I was looking through some of my cookbooks last night I came across where I must have seen the barcode idea originally. It was from Lillie Eats and Tells. I can quickly scan the recipe and it will import all the correct macros/ingredients into my app.
Normally I am not so strict in tracking because honestly it’s a lot of work, but I had to track during pregnancy and now that I am breastfeeding, I am tracking with the guidance of my RD. I am not sure how many people are in the same boat or would use something like this, but just thought it was a creative idea.
This was delicious! I made a big batch and portioned it out for 3 lunches. It was so helpful having ready-to-go meals in the fridge. Will make again!
GOURMET!
5 star recipe!
Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks Denise!