My Chilli Lemon Bean Salad has a great mix of fresh ingredients and a tangy dressing that has a surprisingly zingy kick to it. Ready in no time, you’ll have a fantastic vegan salad that is gluten free, rich in protein and a perfect compliment for any main!
Discovering Not All Salads Are Created Equal!
One of my first concerns with going vegan was that I would always have to eat lettuce salads and be left hungry all the time. As a young adult who was heavily involved in sports, this was a real concern for me. Not to mention my false concerns with getting in enough protein on a vegan diet.
So what did I do? I hardly ate any salads and over-relied on processed alternatives. Not the smartest move in hindsight..
After some time, I realised I needed to evolve my meal plans and incorporate more whole foods into my diet whilst upkeeping my protein requirements.
Luckily for me, I was forced to be creative in the kitchen when first transitioning to veganism and trialed-and-errored my way into creating some amazing salads that pack a real nutritional punch.
In particular, this chilli lemon bean salad!
It’s mix of nutritious and satiating ingredients and unique flavours has made this salad a long-time favourite of mine. More importantly, it was a life-saver of mine when in training mode.
High Protein Vegan Salads
I like to keep meals as easy and nutritious as possible when training. This is one of the many benefits of salads: they can quickly be tossed together with some dressing and you’ve got yourself a tasty and refreshing meal!
So if you’re a gym junkie or fitness fanatic and want to cut down on meal-prep time, then be sure to give this salad a try.
It is a great way to boost your daily protein intake and can use this as a post-workout snack to change-up the protein powder shakes that we all over-consume when training!
The Nutritional Benefits Of Bean Salads
I am a big fan of soy beans and soy based products. However, it is very easy to over-consume soy when transitioning to veganism or fitness training given it’s versatility, prevalence in meat & dairy alternatives and high amount of protein.
This is why I love making this salad. It gives my body a break from soy and still gives me a high amount of protein from whole foods to keep my body healthy and fit.
And it’s nutritional benefits don’t just lye with plant protein.
It is an excellent source of iron, which the body needs for growth and development as well as making red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body. In addition, it is chock full of Vitamin C which is an excellent way to increase iron absorption – not to mention its benefit to the proper functioning of the immune system and other body functions.
How Do You Make Chilli Lemon Bean Salad?
This is the best part of this salad. It takes little time to make and is super cheap to make.
All you will need to whip up this zesty dressing is lemon juice, olive oil and some common herbs and spices laying in your pantry.
And for the salad? Just some canned beans, onions, cucumber and tomatoes. Combine all these together and you’ve got yourself a salad that you can turn to at any time to get more nutrition into your diet and keep you fuller for longer.
More Vegan Salads and Sides To Try
If you like this chilli lemon bean salad recipe, you might also like:
- Vegan Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Gourmet Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
- Stir-Fried Chilli and Garlic Greens
- Chilli Mushroom Avocado Toast
Please feel free to check out all my vegan recipes here for more inspiration in the kitchen!
If you tried this vegan chilli lemon bean salad recipe and loved it as much as I did, please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment and a rating below. I also love seeing remakes of these recipes, so be sure to tag me @voach_thevegancoach and use the hashtag #voachrecipes if you post your creation on Instagram!
Never want to miss out on new amazing vegan recipes? Then be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and sign up to my Newsletter so you are notified when the next delicious and nutritious vegan recipe is up!
@Voach. All images and content are protected by copyright law. Please do not use any images without prior permission. For any republishing of this recipe, please kindly link back to this post.
*This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. You can find out more information here