This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a no-cook recipe prepared in quarter-hour, full of crunchy veggies, feta, and a vibrant lemon dressing! It’s a satisfying plant-based lunch for meal prep or protein-packed facet dish.
When 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 obtained a brand new approach to make use of them: on this Mediterranean chickpea salad! Simply wanting on the ingredient record, you realize it’s going to have huge taste.
There are a great deal of crunchy veggies, lemon provides brightness, and capers carry a salty pop. My secret ingredient is a can of artichoke hearts, which carry a tangy taste and texture that carry the entire thing collectively. This recipe is ideal for anybody consuming Mediterranean weight loss plan 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 similar time. Right here’s why I find it irresistible:
- No cooking required. Every thing goes into one bowl. Completed in quarter-hour.
- Meal prep perfection. It retains fantastically 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 weight loss plan recipe.
Components For Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Right here’s what makes this Mediterranean chickpea salad work! For the total directions with portions, soar to the recipe under.
- Chickpeas: The spine: drain and rinse effectively for the cleanest taste.
- Artichoke hearts (canned): My secret ingredient! Roughly chopped, they add a meaty, tangy texture that fills out the salad. You possibly can actually omit and it’s very tasty too.
- English cucumber, tomatoes, and shallot: All the time use an English cucumber: they’re much less watery and have thinner pores and skin and a brighter inexperienced colour. Substitute pink pepper for tomatoes for those who 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 Ideas
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 a couple of professional ideas:
- Let it marinate. This salad is sweet the second it’s made, nevertheless it’s even higher after a couple of hours or in a single day.
- Use high-quality feta. Block feta that you simply crumble your self (fairly than pre-crumbled) offers the salad even higher taste. Greek feta packed in brine is price it.
- Style earlier than serving. Style and alter seasoning as desired, protecting in thoughts the flavors will intensify over time. However it ought to have a giant pop in taste if you take the primary chunk.
Variations & Substitutions
Listed here are a couple of notes for altering up components:
- Herb variation: This salad can also be nice with chopped recent chives, mint, or dill. You possibly can both substitute them for the parsley or add them. Recent basil can also be scrumptious, however take into accout it turns brown within the fridge throughout storage.
- Pink pepper variation: When you can’t discover good tomatoes, use recent pink peppers or diced jarred roasted pink peppers.
- Different variations: You possibly can omit the artichokes for those who’re not a fan. When you’re into olives, you may add Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives (my favourite inexperienced selection).
Serving Options
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 prime of greens: Arugula or butter lettuce make an excellent base for turning this right into a extra composed salad.
- As a part of a mezze unfold alongside traditional hummus, marinated olives, and heat pita.
- As a summer season cookout facet: It travels effectively and may sit out for a couple of 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 a couple of days. Give it a very good stir earlier than serving and alter seasoning earlier than serving, if desired. I might not advocate freezing this salad as a result of the greens turn out to be mushy.
Dietary Notes
This Mediterranean chickpea salad recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and Mediterranean weight loss plan pleasant.
For dairy-free and vegan, omit the feta: it nonetheless tastes good! Or you may swap in vegan feta.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a no-cook recipe prepared in quarter-hour, full of crunchy veggies, feta, and a vibrant 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
- Complete Time: quarter-hour
- Yield: 4 to six 1x
- Class: Lunch, Salad, Aspect Dish
- Technique: No Cook dinner
- Delicacies: Mediterranean
- Weight-reduction plan: Gluten-Free, Mediterranean Weight-reduction 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 (non-compulsory; 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 components in a bowl. Serve instantly or retailer refrigerated for as much as 5 days.
Notes
Herb variations: This salad can also be nice with chopped recent chives, mint, or dill. Recent basil can also be scrumptious, however take into accout it turns brown within the fridge throughout storage.
Different variations: You possibly can omit the artichokes for those who’re not a fan. Including olives like Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives (my favourite) can also be scrumptious.
Vegan and dairy free swaps: For dairy-free and vegan, omit the feta: it nonetheless tastes good! Or you may swap in vegan feta.
