- Recipes
- Salads
Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Feb 12, 2020
Be the first to leave a review!
This meal-worthy salad puts toothsome, protein-packed chickpeas in the center of your bowl to build a truly filling salad for dinner.
Serves4Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
If your goal is to make a filling salad for dinner that won’t leave you reaching for frozen pizza an hour later, then you need to make sure protein-packed chickpeas are front and center. With a chameleon-like ability to adapt to whatever flavors that surround it, this legume can be combined with any number of fresh greens and veggies for a wholesome, nourishing salad designed for dinner satisfaction.
Your Template for Chopped Chickpea Salad
Inspired by easy-to-eat chopped salad, this version is the best dinner salad to keep in your meal plan rotation. In a departure from your standard green salad with a big base of lettuce, this one uses leafy greens as a supporting ingredient and leans on chickpeas as the base. Since they’re packed with protein and fiber, we find they automatically make for a more filling meal.
Delicious, filling salads don’t require a recipe so much as a smart template and plenty of fresh inspiration and ingredients, which is precisely how this chopped chickpea salad comes together. It all boils down to six key components.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are our pick for convenience, but you can also cook up a batch of dried beans, if you like.
- Chopped greens: We’re partial to crunchy romaine, spicy arugula, or crisp red cabbage. You can even toss in some fresh herbs.
- Red onion: This brings a little bit of sweetness and a little bit of bite. Rinse them under cold water if you want a milder flavor.
- At least 2 chopped vegetables: Tomatoes, cucumbers, diced zucchini, corn — it’s all fair game.
- More protein: Give your salad an extra boost of protein with cheese, sliced hard-boiled egg, or nuts.
- Dressing: The red wine vinaigrette listed below goes with pretty much everything, although you can also swap in another favorite.
Customize to Make It Your Own
With this template in mind, we created three versions of the chopped chickpea salad to show you just how easy it is to customize.
- Inspired by a classic diner-style Greek salad, this version mixes chickpeas with crunchy chopped romaine, hopped cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, salty olives, and creamy feta.
- The Italian-style salad starts with chickpeas, then blends in spicy arugula and sweet basil, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and creamy mozzarella bites.
- Lastly, the slaw-style salad combines chickpeas with shredded red cabbage strands, chopped cucumbers and carrots, crunchy peanuts, and a pop of fresh cilantro.
Weeknight Veggie Dinners
Ready to help your family eat even more veggies? Of course you are. Us too! This week we’re sharing family-friendly vegetarian recipes that will show you the ease and versatility of including a meat-free night in your meal plan. These dinners are easy to pull together on busy weeknights and will satisfy adults and kids alike.
Chopped Chickpea Salad
This meal-worthy salad puts toothsome, protein-packed chickpeas in the center of your bowl to build a truly filling salad for dinner.
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup
red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon
Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup
olive oil
Version 1: Italian
- 2
(15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups
grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup
small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
- 2
roasted red peppers (about 1 cup), diced
- 1 cup
arugula
- 1/2 cup
small-dice red onion
- 1/2 cup
fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Version 2: Greek
- 2
(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups
grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1
medium red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 1
medium cucumber, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup
chopped romaine lettuce
- 3/4 cup
pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup
small-dice red onion
- 1/2 cup
crumbled feta cheese
Version 3: Asian
- 2
(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1
medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 cup
shredded red cabbage
- 2
medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup
small-dice red onion
- 1/2 cup
coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup
unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to give the garlic time to mellow. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified.
Make the salad: For the version you plan to make, place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Filed in:
beans
Canned Goods
Cheese
dinner
easy
Gluten-Free
