Healthy Mung Bean Salad / Moong Salad

This Healthy Mung Bean Salad is nutritious, light yet filling, satisfying, wholesome, and comforting. It is loaded with vegetables, protein-packed, delicious, and flavorful!

Making this boiled Moong Salad is easy with pantry staples. It makes a healthy yet tasty side dish and can also be served as a snack between meals or a light lunch and dinner!

Jump to:

• Easy to Make Healthy Mung Bean Salad
• Why You Will Love This Salad
• Ingredients and Notes
• How To Make Healthy Mung Bean Salad
• Serving Suggestions
• How To Store Healthy Mung Bean Salad
• Variations
• Helpful Tips For Healthy Mung Bean Salad
• More Healthy Salads
• Recipe Card

Easy to Make Healthy Mung Bean Salad

Mung beans are one of the best plant-based sources of protein, so they are a staple ingredient in my pantry, or I would rather say in most Indian households. 

The whole green moong is versatile, and we can use it in various ways. We can mix mung beans with other lentils to make Dal, like this Rajasthani Panchmel Dal. They are also suitable for salads, like this Sprouted Moong and Fruit Salad, and very popular as sprouted Mung beans.

It can also make a simple yet delicious and comforting curry, like the Mung Bean Curry (No Onion, No Garlic) or Moong Dal Mughlai (No Onion No Garlic) recipes.

I grew up eating whole moong at least once a week. We love to have simple but delicious moong curry for breakfast or moong salad for lunch. When I was with my mom, after fasting, mung bean soup was a must for breakfast the next day.

So, this Mung Bean Salad is another comforting and healthy recipe for our menu. It is great for a weight loss diet or for maintaining a healthy weight.

Mung Beans provide protein in this salad, fresh vegetables add a pleasant crunch, and spices add flavor. You can easily customize this salad by adding your choice of elements.

Ingredients and Notes

• Mung Beans (Whole Moong): Mung beans are incredibly versatile, and we can use them in many recipes, from salad to soup. They are light on the stomach and have lots of health benefits. These beans are one of the best sources of plant-based protein. Also, they are high in essential vitamins and minerals. Soak the mung beans for at least 6 hours or overnight for this healthy Mung Bean Salad.
• Vegetables: I added celery, green peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes to this salad. However, you can add your choice of vegetables, such as green or purple cabbage, sweet bell peppers, avocado, carrots, spinach, or beets.
• Cilantro: Adding freshly chopped cilantro makes the salad flavorful. You can also add finely chopped mint leaves.
• Paneer: I love adding paneer cubes to the Mung Bean Salad. Paneer adds creaminess and makes the salad filling and satisfying. However, you can skip adding paneer for a vegan diet.

For the Dressing

• Olive Oil: I added extra virgin olive oil. But any cooking oil of choice can be used. You can also make this salad oil-free by skipping oil and mixing all the spices with only lemon juice.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice provides fresh and bright flavors. You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
• Salt and Pepper: Add salt and pepper to taste. I like adding pink or sea salt to this salad, but you can also use table salt.
• Ground Roasted Cumin: Crushed, toasted cumin seeds give this salad a unique flavor. If you don’t have ground roasted cumin in your pantry, it’s easy and quick to make. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add cumin seeds. Toast the seeds until they are fragrant and turn brown, stirring continuously for 30-45 seconds. With a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the seeds to a coarse powder and use it for the recipe.
• Red Chili Powder: I added red chili powder to make the salad mildly spicy. However, you can skip it or add red chili powder to taste.
• Chaat Masala: I love adding it to various dishes, and this moong salad is one of them.

How To Make Healthy Mung Bean Salad

Boiling The Mung Beans

• Wash whole mung beans with water 2-3 times and soak in enough water for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• After soaking, drain the water entirely from the mung beans.

• Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a pan, then add the drained mung beans and salt.
• Cook the mung beans on medium-high heat until soft and thoroughly cooked but not mushy.
• Cooking the beans will take about 15-20 minutes.
• Once the beans are cooked, drain the water and allow the beans to cool completely.

Making The Dressing

• In a small bowl, add oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, ground cumin, red chili powder, and chaat masala.
• Whisk well to combine.
• To make the salad oil-free, skip adding oil.

Assembling The Healthy Mung Bean Salad

• Add boiled mung beans, chopped vegetables, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
• Gently mix to combine.

• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine everything well.

• Taste and adjust the seasonings as required.
• Top the salad with paneer cubes if desired, and enjoy!

More Healthy Salads

Recipe Card