Bean Salad, the Musical Salad Canned beans are beautiful. They're already cooked. They have a ton of protein and fiber. They're filling. And they're really inexpensive. You may think salad means "sad privation meal of lettuce," but actually salad is a loose category that roughly translates to "haphazard assembly of things tied together by dressing," and by this definition beans are the perfect vehicle. All you need to do is open them, drain them, rinse them if you have the energy but not if you don't (they might just taste slightly more metallic), dump them in a bowl, combine with dressing and perhaps other stuff, and stir. Behold: lunch.

Precut veggies (including frozen--let the salad sit for a bit after mixing to let the frozen veggies defrost) work just fine here. So do bottled dressings, though if you don't have those you can always use the time-honored classic of olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper (or, if you're feeling very fancy, the Nora Ephron classic of a tablespoon of dijon mustard, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, whisked together with a fork). Try one of these combinations, or get creative! The more comfortable you get in the bean salad space, the more you'll be able to branch out. * Chickpeas + cucumbers + cherry or grape tomatoes + tzatziki = Greek-ish salad * Black beans + thawed frozen corn + half jar of salsa + crunched-up tortilla chips = nacho salad * Cannellini beans + pesto + parmesan = sort of Italian bean salad * Kidney beans + celery + sweet onions + pickle relish = what if a hot dog condiment bar was a salad * Black beans + mashed or chopped-up avocado + lime juice + hot sauce or Tajín = what if guacamole was a salad * Chickpeas, smushed + celery + mayo + dab of dijon mustard = tuna salad without tuna * Great northern beans + leafy greens you need to use up + balsamic vinegar + olive oil = classic house salad * Black-eyed peas + celery + bell peppers + hot sauce + red wine vinegar + pinch of sugar/dab of honey/little bit of maple syrup = Hoppin' John-inspired salad * Edamame + carrot + green onion + ginger dressing = teppanyakirestaurant-inspired salad.