Healthy Easy Cucumber Chickpea Salad (Printable version)

A light and nutritious blend of cucumber, chickpeas, tomatoes, and fresh herbs with zesty lemon dressing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad

01 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 large English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped parsley, and fresh mint leaves.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well emulsified.
03 - Pour the prepared vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than scrolling through your phone, no cooking required.
  • The chickpeas make it substantial enough to be your actual lunch, not just a side nobody eats.
  • That lemon vinaigrette is so good you'll want to put it on everything afterward.
02 -
  • If you dress it too far in advance, the cucumber releases water and dilutes everything, so keep the dressing separate if you're making it for later.
  • That squeeze of lemon juice is not optional—it's the whole reason this works, so don't try to substitute with vinegar and expect the same magic.
03 -
  • Make the vinaigrette in a jar with a tight lid so you can shake it back together if it separates, and store it separately from the salad for up to three days.
  • If you're feeding a crowd, keep the dressing at the table and let people add as much as they want—some people like it barely dressed, and that's okay.
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