Dense Bean Salad Chocolate Notes (Printable)

Savory-sweet blend of legumes, pistachios, and cacao creates a vibrant Middle Eastern-inspired salad.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
03 - 1 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 medium cucumber, diced
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
08 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

→ Nuts & Chocolate

09 - 1/3 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao nibs or 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
14 - 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
16 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, adjust to taste
18 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini beans.
02 - Add the diced cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, parsley, and mint. Toss gently to mix.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, honey, ground cumin, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Fold in the roasted pistachios and sprinkle the cacao nibs or cocoa powder over the salad.
06 - Gently mix to distribute the cacao without overpowering the salad’s flavors.
07 - Allow the salad to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving to enable the flavors to meld.
08 - Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It breaks every rule about what salad should be, and that's exactly why it works.
  • You can prep it in under thirty minutes and it tastes even better the next day.
  • The cacao twist gets people talking—nobody expects chocolate in their beans, and their surprise is your secret weapon.
02 -
  • Cacao is deceptive—a teaspoon of cocoa powder can overpower everything if you're not careful, so taste as you dust it in.
  • The salad tastes better tomorrow; the beans soften slightly and the spices deepen into something almost meditative.
03 -
  • Canned beans are fine here, but if you have time to cook dried beans, they'll absorb the dressing even better and feel less watery.
  • If pomegranate molasses is hard to find, a mix of balsamic vinegar and a tiny splash of maple syrup gets you surprisingly close to the same flavor profile.
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