It’s one of those rare nights that my husband is out for a patio dinner with his brother and dad, so I’m having a glass of red wine and getting my life in order for the work week. That includes a minimal amount of meal prep – I don’t historically love doing it, but one of my goals while working from home lately is to reduce the number of processed veggie burgers I thaw out and heat up to heft onto a salad or bowl.

While there are positives to the frozen veg burg – I choose higher-fiber and higher-protein variations – they still don’t usually count as a whole food. And the body tends to process whole foods better for nutrients because the nutrients within those foods naturally work well together.

One of my favorite higher-fiber, higher-protein, whole-food options that’s quick to pull together and immensely satisfying when added as a salad topper or just in a dish on its own as a side, is the bean salad. (The two cans of beans alone contribute about 49 grams of protein and 35 grams of fiber.) I credit my husband, Remy, for teaching me how to make the dressing, which is an easy default for most simple salads – greens, beans, shredded carrots, and so on.

Recipe: Bright Red Bean Salad

For salad and bowl toppings, side dishes, etc.

Ingredients

2 cans dark red kidney beans

1 c. kale

1/8 c. olive oil

Black pepper

Salt

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/4 c. sherry vinegar

1 Small handful of basil

1 Shallot (or 1/4 onion)

Bright Red Bean and Kale Salad Recipe in a Bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make It

Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Let them sit in the colander until they stop dripping. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion or shallot. In a mixing bowl, mix up the dressing: the olive oil with the sherry vinegar, a heap of salt, a dash of pepper and the dijon mustard. Add the onion or shallot into the mix and stir until well-balanced. Finely chop the kale and the basil, and toss it into a bowl. Add the kidney beans. Pour the dressing over the contents of the bowl. Mix slowly with tongs until evenly distributed. Cover and chill in the fridge until serving – I’ll personally be dipping into this for lunch over the next few work-from-home days.

A few reasons protein matters:

  • Helps build & repair muscle tissues
  • Helps synthesize skeletal & connective tissues
  • Supports immune function (antibodies are proteins)
  • Satisfies hunger longer

(Fact source: Precision Nutrition)