Trendspotting: Dense Bean Salads

By Kat La Mantia | October 2 2024 | AllBlogAdultsGeneral

TikTok loves a good food trend, and the latest culinary dish of choice is the dense bean salad (or DBS for Violet Witchel fans in the know).

Beans are a powerhouse food, packing tons of filling fiber and protein into a tiny package with plenty of umami flavor. Diverse and versatile, there are as many ways to prepare beans as there are varieties, making them a great staple food for anyone on a plant-based diet.

The beauty of the dense bean salad is its make-ahead simplicity combined with an affordable price tag. Creator Violet Witchel’s dense bean salad recipes are quick and easy to make as a part of weekly meal prep. Eat them straight out of the bowl like a typical salad, put them in a pita pocket for a no-fuss lunch, or integrate them into chilis or pastas to add some bulk and nutrition to dinners.

Just published this month, The Bean Book is the perfect title to add to your assort to hop on the trend. ATK’s The Complete Beans and Grains Cookbook is another great pick with over 450 recipes highlighting the humble bean. Check out some more of our favorite books featuring beans, salads, and other plant-based recipes down below!

100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen [A Cookbook]
9781984860002
From the founder of the acclaimed Rancho Gordo bean company, an authoritative guide to 50 bean varieties and how to cook with them, featuring 100 classic and modern recipes.
$35.00 US
Sep 10, 2024
8 x 10
Hardcover
288 Pages
Ten Speed Press

A Comprehensive Guide with 450+ Recipes
9781954210677
From favas to fonio, take a deep dive into the vast world of beans and grains, with hundreds of exceptional, foolproof recipes
$34.99 US
Feb 06, 2024
8-1/2 x 10
Paperback
448 Pages
America's Test Kitchen

Creative Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
9780744034608
Harness the magical power of the world's most versatile plant-based proteins with 100 delicious recipes that will revolutionize breakfast, lunch, dinner, and, yes, even dessert.
$19.99 US
May 11, 2021
7-11/16 x 9-3/16
Paperback
224 Pages
DK

Simple, Satisfying Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet
9781632172921
Beans: hearty and heart-healthy, they're also satisfying, inexpensive, nutritious, and more versatile than you might think!
$19.95 US
Nov 03, 2020
6-3/4 x 8
Paperback
176 Pages
Sasquatch Books

The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes [A Cookbook]
9780399581489
A fresh, modern look at the diverse world of beans, chickpeas, lentils, pulses, and more--featuring 125 recipes for globally inspired vegetarian mains, snacks, soups, and desserts, from a James Beard Award-winning food writer
$30.00 US
Feb 04, 2020
8 x 10
Hardcover
240 Pages
Ten Speed Press

Inventive Plant-Forward Meals
9780847899401
The vegetarian sequel to Jeanne Kelley’s highly successful cookbook Salad for Dinner (2012). This inspiring single-subject cookbook reimagines the traditional idea of a salad as a main course meal.
$40.00 US
Feb 21, 2023
7-3/4 x 9-3/4
Hardcover
224 Pages
Rizzoli

Middle-Eastern Salads and Plates for Sharing
9781922417862
Very Good Salads is a seasonal cookbook filled with salad and dips to accompany one very good falafel recipe.
$29.95 US
Nov 01, 2022
7-1/2 x 9-1/2
Hardcover
192 Pages
Smith Street Books

A Fresh Guide to 200+ Vibrant Dishes Using Greens, Vegetables, Grains, Proteins, and More
9781948703567
Discover your inner salad genie with this creative cookbook. Over 230 recipes, ingredient information, and tips, make this the only cookbook you'll ever need to make innovative, stunning, and satisfying salads.
$34.99 US
Apr 27, 2021
7-7/8 x 9-5/8
Paperback
424 Pages
America's Test Kitchen

Happy, Healthy & Speedy Salads to Make in Minutes
9781925418972
Get healthier, happier, and your lunch salad organized in record time. All you need is this book and nine minutes of your morning.
$19.95 US
Feb 05, 2019
7 x 9-3/4
Hardcover
128 Pages
Smith Street Books

60 New Ways to Turn Salad into Dinner [A Cookbook]
9780399578045
From the editors of Food52, the blockbuster food and recipe site (4 million unique monthly visits), comes this collection of delicious and hearty salads perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to work lunches.
$23.99 US
Apr 11, 2017
7-1/4 x 9
Hardcover
160 Pages
Ten Speed Press

One Simple Formula, Countless Meatless Meals [A Plant-Based Cookbook]
9781984863201
In this collection of over 80 delicious, plant-based recipes, nutritionist, blogger, and author of The Vegan Week explores one simple meal planning formula: a grain, a green, and a bean.
$26.00 US
Apr 15, 2025
7-3/8 x 9-1/8
Hardcover
240 Pages
Ten Speed Press

Happy, Healthy & Speedy Salads to Make in Minutes
9781923049796
Get your lunch organized in record time with this foolproof, Keto cookbook.
$19.95 US
Feb 04, 2025
7-1/10 x 9-5/6
Hardcover
128 Pages
Smith Street Books