Easy Chickpea Salad Recipe
My easy chickpea salad recipe is as delicious as it is fresh and colorful. Try it one time and it will take a spot in your permanent rotation.
My easy chickpea salad recipe is delicious as it is fresh and colorful. Chickpeas go by several names, including garbanzo beans and Egyptian peas, to name a few. They’re very high in protein and, as such, as a favorite amongst vegans and vegetarians. Chickpeas are essential in Mediterranean cuisine, used in hummus and when dried and ground for falafel.
Chickpeas weren’t something my mother cooked with when I was growing up, and I came across them at the now-canceled Wendy’s Salad Bar! LOL! From there, I learned to make hummus and often used them in the salads I made at home. These days I always have several cans of hand, and I use them in many recipes.
Chickpea Salad Recipe Ingredients
This bright, healthy chickpea salad is as simple as it is delicious. !
- Roasted Chickpeas – Chickpeas are the protein-packed base of this salad, and I roast mine to add a bit of crunchy, crispy texture and added flavor.
- Cucumbers – Cucumbers are crisp, cool, and raw. I use English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds and thinner skins.
- Cherry tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are little bursts of sweetness. When they’re in season, I harvest them from my garden. However, they are also available at the market any time of year.
- Fresh dill – The feathery green leaves of the dill herb plant have a bright, sweet flavor—somewhere between parsley and celery. And fresh dill smells and looks terrific.
- Red onions – Red onions have deep purple skin and, when used raw, are slightly sweet. Because of their color, they make a colorful addition to any salad.
- Fresh juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds zest and zing to your chickpea salad and balances with the other flavors, especially the red onions.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Olive oil adds a deep, earthy flavor to any salad, and this chickpea salad is no exception.
- Sea Salt – Sea salt makes all the flavors pop!
How to Make Chickpea Salad
Bright and delicious this chickpea salad goes together in less than 15 minutes.
- Drain and roast the chickpeas – Thoroughly drain them, and I don’t remove the skins – it’s just too time-consuming. Then roast them, as in my roasted chickpea recipe, and allow them to cool once removed from the oven.
- Cut up your fresh vegetables – This includes the English cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and red onions. I didn’t roast my cherry tomatoes for this recipe, but you can by following my roasted cherry tomato recipe here.
- Add the above ingredients to a bowl – Combine the roasted chickpeas and the fresh vegetables, and you want the ingredients evenly spread out.
- Add fresh lemon juice – Stir the lemon juice in with a spoon and evenly coat all the ingredients
- Rough chop the fresh dill – This is my favorite part! I LOVE the smell of fresh dill, and, as such, I don’t mind chopping it up. Leave some larger feathery sprigs for another use.
- Add salt – Combine all the ingredients and sprinkle in several pinches of sea salt
- And, “Voila!” you have your easy chickpea salad endlessly versatile, healthy, bright, and delicious.
Chickpea Salad Variations
This chickpea salad is endlessly versatile. Here are some variations..
- Add vegan mayonnaise or aioli – Adding my homemade vegan aioli or mayonnaise makes this chickpea salad more creamy and amps up the flavor!
- Add mustard – I often add dijon mustard which adds a tangy, sharp, and slightly sweet flavor.
- Switch out the dill – Just about any fresh herb works with this easy chickpea recipe. Cilantro is a natural, as is parsley.
- Add nuts or seeds – I sometimes add pumpkin seeds to this recipe, roasted sesame seeds, or roasted pine nuts.
How to Use This Easy Chickpea Salad Recipe
This chickpea salad adapts to so many different dishes. Here are a couple of creative uses.
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad – I use my easy chickpea salad and combine it here with couscous and other ingredients. It’s fresh and delicious.
- Chickpea Salad, Avocado, and Fresh Dill Sandwich – My chickpea salad recipe is the base of the wildly delicious sandwich made with my homemade vegan load bread.
- Arugula, Pear, and Chickpea Salad – My chickpea salad recipe is the base of this wonderfully bright and light salad. I serve it with pomegranate vinaigrette for additional flavor.
If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
Easy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups Roasted chickpeas
- 1/4 cup English cucumber, sliced into quarters
- 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, rough chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare crunchy roasted chickpeas
- Cut up fresh vegetables
- Rough chop fresh dill
- Transfer to serving bowl
- Drizzle on extra-virgin olive oil
- Add sea salt
- Add freshly ground black pepper
- Toss and chill
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