Today’s episode is one of my favorites. Chickpea Salad is served everywhere in Greece and I absolutely adore it. You’ll see that it’s incredibly easy to pull together and utilizes classic Mediterranean ingredients. Chickpeas are very easy to find and are inexpensive, and the rest of the ingredients often come from the garden or farmer’s market
There are many wonderful things about this salad. My personal favorite is that you can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to eat. I love anything that can be prepared ahead of time because it makes life easier when meal time approaches. It’s also very light and healthy, which I particularly appreciate in the summer time. Finally, the salad pairs well with a lot of our favorite warm weather dishes. I like to serve it with fish (link) or grilled chicken . Or, sometimes I eat it with some grilled shrimp for a quick, healthy lunch and it really hits the spot.
When you’re making this salad, I highly recommend having all the ingredients prepared so you can assemble it easily. This is just a matter of having your mise-en-place prepared. In fact, if you have an aspiring cook in the household this is the perfect dish for them to be in charge of because it’s impossibly simple. The final step of adding the dressing is the best because it really pulls the flavors together. The chickpeas absorb the lemon and olive oil and everything tastes incredible as a result.
Like I said, send this salad to school in lunches (nut-free), serve it to your vegetarian friends, take it to a party in a pretty bowl, or just make it a big batch and eat it for lunch for a week. There really is no limit to its versatility and incredible flavor. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Chickpea Salad
This a gorgeous, easy salad that is great as a side dish or a light meal. You can also top it with grilled fish, shrimp, or chicken. Chickpeas are a very popular ingredient in many Greek dishes because they produced in the country and are inexpensive. I recommend making this a few hours before you want to serve it because it tastes the best when the dressing has had the chance to be absorbed by the vegetables.
2 15.5 ounces cans of chickpeas, drained
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
½ cucumber, peeled and quartered
½ red onion, finely chopped
4 scallions, white and light green parts chopped
½ cup roughly chopped parsley (about 1/2 a bunch)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Set a medium salad bowl on your calendar.
First, add the drained chickpeas to a large salad mixing bowl.
Layer the ingredients on top of the chickpeas as you prepare them, beginning with the scallions and ending with the garlic.
Use a large spoon to toss the ingredients together.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a small measuring cup and pour it into the salad. Toss the ingredients well with the spoon.
Transfer the salad to a beautiful serving bowl, garnish with a few sprigs of parsley, serve!
Nikki Glekas is the owner of Nikki Glekas Events, a full-service catering and events company located in Stamford, CT. She is currently operating with COVID-safe procedures and is happy to discuss your event and catering needs with you. To discuss further please contact team@nikkiglekasevents.com or call 203.658.8659.