Healthy, protein rich Chickpea Salad made with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and fresh herbs in a light, NO oil Salad dressing. Can be made using canned chickpeas or cooked from scratch using Instant Pot. Family Friendly weeknight dinner or a meal for two in summers, this is a great way to enjoy chickpeas.
Have you tried our delicious Chickpea Salad Recipe yet? It's full of flavors, healthy, can be easily made with pantry staples and veggies from the refrigerator. The best part - It's light, No Oil, Gluten Free, Vegan and super protein rich!
While salads are usually a summer thing, this Vegan Chickpea Salad can be considered as an all season salad recipe.
The main ingredient - Chickpeas can be either cooked from scratch (soaking the dried beans, cooking on stove top or pressure cooker) OR you could just grab a can of chickpeas and get started.
With basic ingredients that are needed for making this dish, this will soon turn out to be one of your favorite lunch recipes.
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Top 5 Reasons you'll love Chickpea Salad Recipe
- Easy and Quick to put together with pantry staples and refrigerator supplies
- Zero Oil, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
- Can be easily customized according to availability of ingredients
- Filling - Can easily replace a meal during summers
- Can be made-ahead (for family or entertaining)
Ingredients
Chickpeas -
While you can opt for a can of cooked chickpeas, my weekly meal planning comes to the rescue which means there is a box of cooked chickpeas in my refrigerator or freezer.
Instant Pot Chickpeas - Dump and Go method of cooking chickpeas is absolutely convenient and doesn't require my presence in the kitchen.
By the time I am done with the household chores or finishing an online meeting, the Instant Pot is ready with perfectly soft and buttery chickpeas. Plus, I don't have to tell you that it's much cheaper and no added preservatives.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, chickpeas can be cooked using stove top pressure cooker or directly on stove top in a wide pan or dutch oven. The latter is time consuming though.
If using canned chickpeas, drain the liquid, rinse once and it's ready to use.
Vegetables - I have used Cherry tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions and bell pepper (green).
Salad Dressing - Zaatar Spice, Red Chili Flakes (optional, if you don't prefer some heat or use fresh serrano peppers / jalapeno peppers), Black Pepper Powder, Salt.
Herbs - Finely chopped fresh mint leaves and Cilantro are my top choices for bean salads.
Lime Juice - Freshly squeezed lime juice makes all the difference here. I have also tried this recipe using Sumac (Middle Eastern spice blend known for its tart flavor and fruity tones)
While this is a No Oil Salad Recipe, you can toss the salad with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Instructions
The salad is pretty much a dump, mix and eat kinda salad.
In a large bowl, add all the ingredients, herbs, spices and finish with lime juice. Always taste and check if you need anything extra.
Always garnish the salad with some herbs, just before serving.
Variations
We make this salad at least once at week at home, which means all the below mentioned recommendations / variations have been tried and tested by us.
Vegetables - Cooked Beetroots (Instant Pot Beets), Variety of Bell Peppers, Avocado, Boiled and cubed Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes (if you don't mind carbs occasionally) are some of the options you can try.
Grains - Cooked Quinoa, Pearl Barley, Wild Rice are some options.
Greens - Baby Spinach, Iceberg Lettuce or Romaine and Arugula or rocket leaves.
Nuts & Seeds - Walnuts, Pine nuts, Pecans or Almonds OR roasted pumpkin and flax seeds. Roast the nuts in an air fryer or oven for the added crunch.
We love adding some Dried Cranberries or Apricots / Figs. It gives a sweet and tart taste to the salad.
The salad is Dairy-free or Vegan. Occasionally, we love serving the salad with Crumbled Feta Cheese, grilled halloumi and shaved parmesan cheese. These are great options for entertaining or during holidays. Air fried Paneer cubes can also be added instead of cheese.
Serving Suggestions
I insist on refrigerating the salad before serving. Even 30 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator makes a lot of difference, especially during summers!
When entertaining or making for a large crowd, prep the ingredients and refrigerate until your guests arrive,. Mix and serve later.
I pack this for my husband as lunch at work. Layer the vegetables and chickpeas in a Jar and pack the salad dressing ingredients in a small container, separately. During lunch, all he needs to do is mix, shake and eat.
Soup - No Oil Salad recipes combined with fresh homemade soups makes a light meal for weight watchers.
Some of our favorites are Broccoli Soup ,Tomato Soup, Hot and Sour Vegetarian Soup, Thai Tom Kha and Pumpkin Soup.
Serve the salad as part of Indian Buddha Bowl Meal with Basmati Rice, Dal and Air Fryer Vegetables or Crispy Okra.
Other Chickpea Recipes
Chana Saag (Chickpeas and Spinach Curry)
Chickpeas Sundal (South Indian Vegan Stir Fry with chickpeas and coconut)
Other Salad Recipes to Try
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Chickpea Salad Recipe (No Oil, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 English Cucumber or Hothouse Cucumber medium size, finely chopped
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 Onion medium size, finely chopped
- ¾ cup Green Bell Pepper finely chopped
For the Dressing / Seasoning
- ¼ cup Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Mint finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp Za'atar Spice
- ½ tsp Red Chilli Flakes or use 1/4 tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- Juice of 2 limes
Instructions
- In a wide salad bowl, add cooked chickpeas, chopped vegetables (cucumber, peppers, onion and cherry tomatoes).
- In another bowl add (za'atar, salt, pepper, red chilli flakes) and squeeze juice from 2 limes. Add half the quantity of cilantro and mint and reserve the rest for garnish.
- Add the dressing to the chickpeas mix and toss well. Garnish with more cilantro and mint. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- With cooked Instant Pot Chickpeas readily available, this salad just takes 20 mins from start to finish.
- The salad contains no oil. However, if you like, you can add 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil to the dressing.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
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