Italian Grinder Bean Salad

A high protein, high fiber salad you’ll actually crave. This Italian Grinder Salad with Beans makes the perfect healthy meal prep lunch!

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The perfect meal prep salad doesn’t exist. Oh wait… It does! And it comes in the form of this Italian Grinder Salad With Beans.

What makes this recipe so perfect? Well first of all, it’s like a chopped sub and it actually tastes good. It’s also super easy to make, it gets better as it sits in the fridge, and it’s the perfect blend of high protein and high fiber to support your health and appetite.

I know you’ll love this balanced Italian Grinder Bean Salad for easy summer lunches.

Why you’ll love it

Gluten-free: This salad is naturally gluten-free if you’re avoiding gluten or wheat.

High fiber: This salad contains 11 grams of dietary fiber per serving (wow!), which is almost half of your daily fiber requirement if you’re a woman.

Incredibly flavorful: The ingredients and the dressing come together to make the tastiest Italian grinder bowl you’ve ever had.

Quick: There’s not too much slicing, and absolutely no cooking to make this simple, dense salad.

Great for meal prep: This salad can sit in the dressing for days and it only gets more satisfying and flavorful.

Ingredient notes

Here’s what you’ll need for the base of this salad:

• Canned chickpeas — sub any other canned bean or lentil if desired
• Canned white kidney beans — sub any other canned bean or lentil if desired
• Salami, turkey, and/or ham — I used salami but choose any mix of meats you love
• Provolone cheese — sub havarti, mozzarella, or cheddar
• Bell pepper — I used green but use whatever color you enjoy
• Grape or cherry tomatoes
• Red onion — sub white onion
• Banana peppers — sub pepperoncini peppers

You can use store bought Italian vinaigrette for the salad dressing to make life easy.

If you want to do homemade, I’ve included the recipe for a ridiculously tasty dressing that can be made in minutes. It’s got olive oil, mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, mustard, banana pepper brine, garlic, parmesan, and lots of seasonings. So good!

Additional mix-ins

If you want to add extra ingredients, here are some ideas:

• Diced cucumber
• Sliced olives
• Pepperoncini peppers
• Red pepper flakes
• Shredded lettuce
• Thinly sliced cabbage
• Fresh herbs
• White onion
• Arugula
• Baby lettuce

Step-by-step instructions

This Italian grinder salad with beans couldn’t be easier to make!

In a small bowl or measuring cup, add all ingredients for the salad dressing. Whisk together until the dressing is combined and smooth. Set aside.

Then, add all salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Add dressing and mix until everything is well coated and ingredients are evenly distributed. Serve or store for later!

Dietary restrictions

Gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free! Just make sure you’ve avoided cross-contamination in your prep, and check the labels on your ingredients for certified gluten-free products.

Vegetarian: Omit the salami and deli meats.

Plant-based: Omit the salami and cheeses, including the parmesan in the dressing. Use a vegan mayonnaise in the vinaigrette or buy a vegan dressing from the store.

Higher protein: Add cubed rotisserie chicken to the salad, or serve with salmon.

Higher fiber: Add a big scoop of quinoa, or an extra can of beans or lentils.

Meal prep instructions

You don’t have to do anything special to make this salad for meal prep, because it gets even better the longer it sits in the dressing!

Simply make your salad as instructed and add to single-serve meal prep containers. Keep refrigerated until you’re ready to eat.

How long will this last in the fridge?

Italian grinder salad will stay good in the fridge for up to four days.

Top tip

Stir your salad before serving because the dressing may fall to the bottom of the bowl.