Warm weather invites a lot of my favorite things: camping, trail walks, barbeques, getting too much sun by the lake, baseball games, and weekend trips with the kids. One of my personal favorites about summer get-to-togethers are the variety of summer salads inspired by fresh fruits and vegetables. I live in the Midwest, and there is always an abundance of tomatoes and cucumbers offerings from local gardeners this time of year.

Despite this it can often be hard to eat healthy, especially if there are certain tastes or textures that you or others in your household find less than pleasant. Let’s be honest; vegetables are a lot easier to eat if they taste good, right? This chickpea salad recipe is made with a homemade lemon parsley vinaigrette that adds the right amount of flavor that’s as healthy as it is delicious. Chickpeas are inexpensive and a great source of protein and fiber. The onion, cucumber and bell pepper provide a crunchy texture, but also a great deal of your daily vitamins C, K, and antioxidants. If you have picky eaters that have a hard time with vegetables, this is a great recipe to try to introduce a variety of healthy foods. It’s great when served fresh, but even better when chilled for 4-6 hours in the fridge. Even my skeptical teenager was a huge fan of this recipe!

For this recipe you’ll need a cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, feta cheese and chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are actually the same legume with names from different origins, so either option works great from your local grocery store. I recommend purchasing the canned version, but you can purchase these dried and cook them beforehand if you prefer.

Thinly slice the red onion, and core the red bell pepper before cutting the cucumber and pepper into one inch pieces.

Toss the chickpeas/garbanzo beans, cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to prepare the vinaigrette.

Thinly slice fresh parsley, and gather salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and fresh lemon juice for the dressing. You can substitute prepared lemon juice from the grocery if fresh lemons are not available. The white wine vinegar and lemon juice add an amazingly tart flavor to the vinaigrette.

Whisk the olive oil, white wine vinegar, parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Add in the fresh lemon juice and mix thoroughly to combine. Add the vinaigrette to the chickpea salad and toss to coat. Keep chilled in the fridge before serving and top with fresh cracked peppercorns and salt to taste.

Zesty Lemon Chickpea Salad with Feta and Parsley

Course: Salads, VegetarianCuisine: MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Refrigeration Time

minutes

Ingredients

Salad:
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 cucumber
1 bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup feta cheese
Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp fresh parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

Cut cucumbers and bell pepper into one inch pieces. Thinly slice red onion and drain chickpeas.
Toss vegetables in a large bowl with feta cheese and set aside.
Thinly slice parsley. Combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, parsley, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add in lemon juice and whisk thoroughly.
Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to coat. Chill 4-6 hours before serving.

Notes

Tip: Red onions are best for this recipe, but white onions can be used as a substitute.
Tip: You can omit the feta cheese from this recipe as a vegan option.