This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a no-cook recipe prepared in quarter-hour, filled with crunchy veggies, feta, and a vivid lemon dressing! It’s a satisfying plant-based lunch for meal prep or protein-packed facet dish.
In case you’ve made as many chickpea recipes as I’ve, you’d suppose I’d get bored with them. However my love for this ingredient stays robust and I’ve bought a brand new means to make use of them: on this Mediterranean chickpea salad! Simply wanting on the ingredient record, you understand it’s going to have huge taste.
There are a great deal of crunchy veggies, lemon provides brightness, and capers convey a salty pop. My secret ingredient is a can of artichoke hearts, which convey a tangy taste and texture that convey the entire thing collectively. This recipe is ideal for anybody consuming Mediterranean food regimen recipes or simply making an attempt to eat extra greens: nice for meal prep lunches or a protein-packed facet dish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Okay, this recipe is a weekday workhorse, a pot-luck favourite, and a protein-packed straightforward facet all on the identical time. Right here’s why I like it:
- No cooking required. Every thing goes into one bowl. Executed in quarter-hour.
- Meal prep perfection. It retains superbly within the fridge for as much as 5 days: and the flavors solely get higher!
- Excessive in plant-based protein. Two cans of chickpeas ship a very good quantity of protein
- Made with wholesome entire meals. Olive oil, legumes, recent herbs, lemon: it’s a textbook Mediterranean food regimen recipe.
Components For Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Right here’s what makes this Mediterranean chickpea salad work! For the total directions with portions, leap to the recipe under.
- Chickpeas: The spine: drain and rinse properly for the cleanest taste.
- Artichoke hearts (canned): My secret ingredient! Roughly chopped, they add a meaty, tangy texture that fills out the salad. You may definitely omit and it’s very tasty too.
- English cucumber, tomatoes, and shallot: At all times use an English cucumber: they’re much less watery and have thinner pores and skin and a brighter inexperienced shade. Substitute pink pepper for tomatoes when you like.
- Jarred capers: These add a punchy, briny pop; don’t omit them.
- Feta cheese: Crumbled all through for salty, creamy distinction.
- Recent parsley: A giant handful. In case you have them, add a little bit of recent mint or dill.
- Dressing: All you want is lemon juice, lemon zest, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
Professional Suggestions
This salad recipe is so easy! I created it in order that it’s actually “dump and stir” — you actually simply add every thing to a bowl and stir it up. Listed here are just a few professional ideas:
- Let it marinate. This salad is sweet the second it’s made, nevertheless it’s even higher after just a few hours or in a single day.
- Use high-quality feta. Block feta that you simply crumble your self (reasonably than pre-crumbled) offers the salad even higher taste. Greek feta packed in brine is value it.
- Style earlier than serving. Style and modify seasoning as desired, protecting in thoughts the flavors will intensify over time. Nevertheless it ought to have an enormous pop in taste whenever you take the primary chunk.
Variations & Substitutions
Listed here are just a few notes for altering up substances:
- Herb variation: This salad can be nice with chopped recent chives, mint, or dill. You may both substitute them for the parsley or add them. Recent basil can be scrumptious, however take note it turns brown within the fridge throughout storage.
- Purple pepper variation: In case you can’t discover good tomatoes, use recent pink peppers or diced jarred roasted pink peppers.
- Different variations: You may omit the artichokes when you’re not a fan. In case you’re into olives, you may add Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives (my favourite inexperienced selection).
Serving Strategies
One of many (many) issues I really like about this Mediterranean chickpea salad is that it’s tremendous versatile, as I’ve already raved about above. Listed here are some methods I wish to serve it:
- As a weekday lunch: Scoop it right into a container and it’s a wholesome lunch that shops for days within the fridge.
- As a facet dish subsequent to grilled salmon, grilled rooster thighs, or shrimp skewers.
- On high of greens: Arugula or butter lettuce make a terrific base for turning this right into a extra composed salad.
- As a part of a mezze unfold alongside basic hummus, marinated olives, and heat pita.
- As a summer season cookout facet: It travels properly and may sit out for just a few hours at room temperature.
Storage
Retailer this salad hermetic within the fridge for as much as 5 days. The salad truly improves in taste over just a few days. Give it a very good stir earlier than serving and modify seasoning earlier than serving, if desired. I might not suggest freezing this salad as a result of the greens grow to be mushy.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean chickpea salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and Mediterranean food regimen pleasant.
For dairy-free and vegan, omit the feta: it nonetheless tastes good! Or you’ll be able to swap in vegan feta.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a no-cook recipe prepared in quarter-hour, filled with crunchy veggies, feta, and a vivid lemon dressing! It’s a satisfying plant-based lunch for meal prep or protein-packed facet dish.
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Whole Time: quarter-hour
- Yield: 4 to six 1x
- Class: Lunch, Salad, Aspect Dish
- Methodology: No Cook dinner
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Food plan: Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Food plan, Vegetarian
Components
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 English cucumber, small diced (1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 1 diced pink pepper)
- 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 1 massive handful Italian parsley, chopped (or different recent herbs)
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (elective; see Notes)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice plus lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
Directions
- Combine all substances in a bowl. Serve instantly or retailer refrigerated for as much as 5 days.
Notes
Herb variations: This salad can be nice with chopped recent chives, mint, or dill. Recent basil can be scrumptious, however take note it turns brown within the fridge throughout storage.
Different variations: You may omit the artichokes when you’re not a fan. Including olives like Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives (my favourite) can be scrumptious.
Vegan and dairy free swaps: For dairy-free and vegan, omit the feta: it nonetheless tastes good! Or you’ll be able to swap in vegan feta.
