Healthy Easy Cucumber Chickpea (Printer-Friendly)

Fresh cucumbers and hearty chickpeas tossed in vibrant lemon vinaigrette, perfect for a quick, light dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) 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 Prepare:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped parsley, and mint leaves.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the 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 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 tastes exponentially better the longer it sits, so you can actually make it ahead without stress.
  • There's enough plant-based protein here that you won't feel hungry two hours later, even though it feels impossibly light.
02 -
  • The dressing will thin out as the vegetables release their water, so under-dress slightly at first and taste before adding more.
  • Keeping the dressing separate from the salad until the last possible moment before eating is the only way to preserve crisp vegetables if you're doing meal prep.
03 -
  • Pat your cucumber dry after dicing it if your salad seems watery, water content varies wildly depending on where it was grown and how long it's been sitting.
  • Add the dressing right before serving to keep everything as crisp as possible, or embrace the softer version after it's been marinating and decide which version you prefer.
Go Back