Dense Bean Salad Dubai Chocolate (Printable Version)

A vibrant blend of beans, fresh veggies, pistachios, and cacao for a rich, layered flavor experience.

# What You 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
18 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How To Make:

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

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd find in a tiny cafe with mismatched chairs, not your own kitchen on a Tuesday.
  • The cacao doesn't scream chocolate, it just whispers richness behind the cumin and lemon.
  • You can make it entirely from pantry staples if you keep beans and spices around.
  • It actually gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight, which almost never happens with salads.
02 -
  • If you use cocoa powder instead of cacao nibs, add it to the dressing first and whisk it in, or it will turn into dusty brown spots on your beans.
  • Don't skip the resting time, the salad tastes flat and one-note if you eat it right away, it needs a few minutes to settle.
  • If your beans are mushy, this salad will turn into a paste, use firm canned beans or cook dried ones just until tender.
03 -
  • Toast the pistachios for a minute in a dry pan before chopping them, it brings out their flavor and makes them taste even richer.
  • If pomegranate molasses is hard to find, simmer pomegranate juice with a little sugar until it's thick and syrupy, it's basically the same thing.
  • Taste a spoonful of the dressed salad before adding the cacao, so you know what the base tastes like, then you can adjust the chocolate element to your preference.
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