7 Worth It Ways to Make Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Chickpea cucumber salad is a go-to summer recipe. It is delicious, fresh, and gut healthy to boot!
Cucumbers are in season and chickpea cucumber salad is a great way to put cucumbers on the menu. Eat fresh and in season produce! We have two cucumber plants, so I am constantly creating recipes to include them. This chickpea cucumber salad is a go-to summer night meal and can be tailored to your taste.
This post is all about chickpea cucumber salad!
Healthy Micro Superstars featured in chickpea cucumber salad
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What Do I Have to Do to Put This Salad Together?
- First, chop the vegetables
- Second, sear the chickpeas and onion
- Third, combine in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil and lemon juice
- Fourth, if you love feta, add it! If you want to keep your chickpea salad vegan, skip this step.
- Fourth, salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Enjoy delicious and fresh chickpea cucumber salad!
Packed Chickpea Nutrition
The chickpea is an incredibly nutrient-packed legume that cannot be matched in terms of its nutritional content. They are a powerhouse of essential vitamins, proteins and fiber that provide incredible health benefits for your digestive system. Moreover, they offer a convenient way to get all the nutrition you need without having to resort to any artificial supplements.
We need an ample amount of dietary fiber and protein to ensure that we feel full and satiated for a decent period of time. Unfortunately, many of the meals in a typical westernized diet are severely deficient in dietary fiber. However, one incredibly nutritious source of both dietary fiber and protein is the humble chickpea – along with myriad other essential vitamins and minerals!
Each chickpea has a good deal of fiber and protein within it. Fiber and protein work together to make us feel satisfied and full after eating.
Kait’s Cupboard
In several studies, chickpeas have been found to reduce people’s appetites and increase their feelings of fullness (Zafar & Kabir, 2017; Reister & Leidy, 2020). Want to learn more? Check out my full post on chickpeas health benefits! I share all the things about chickpeas including:
Bespoke Chickpea Salad
This delicious and wholesome chickpea salad recipe is one of the best recipes out there, as it is incredibly versatile and can be tailored to your own personal taste and preferences. You can always add your favorite ingredients to create a unique dish that you will absolutely love!
Make your own bespoke chickpea cucumber salad with all your favorite ingredients! 7 Ways, 1 You
Dr. Kait
So, before you start, take stock of your essential kitchen tools. I’m posting a few of the essential items I use in this recipe below.
The Green Skillet
Chemical free! No more worrying if my kids are eating pieces of tephlon!! Super easy to clean, basically wipes right off.
Classic KitchenAid Bowls
This pistachio color is gorgeous enough to place on any table! These bowls are also super durable.
Best Ever Bamboo Spoons
I bought these spoons about 10 years ago and literally they are JUST NOW finally in need of replacement. You will use these every time you cook.
Splurge Serving Bowls
These serving bowls are vintage and a total splurge for pyrex collectors! I happened upon a similar set at a flea market and literally use them for everything from keeping nuts out on the counter to serving salads to Thanksgiving providing an exquisite addition to any kitchen, offering timeless design with an effortless elegance.
The Best Chickpea Salad Recipe
Now that you know chickpeas are an amazing source of fiber and protein, let’s get to the recipes! Below I am detailing 7 ways you can make chickpea cucumber salad. All of these salads are SUPER HEALTHY, delicious, and combine some gut healthy ingredients including chickpeas, tomatoes, and cucumber!
1. Fresh Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Salad
This delicious and nutritious chickpea salad is a delectable combination of seared chickpeas, sautéed onion, freshly cut cucumber, and juicy Organic Wild Wonder Cherry Tomatoes. In the summertime, I love to grow my own cherry tomatoes in the garden; however when the pesky deer manage to get the better of me, I can always rely on these gorgeous and sweet fruits that stay fresh for longer periods of time. Perfect for adding to salads!
Find these cherry tomatoes at Whole Foods through Amazon and get them delivered or through curb pick up here! Fresh and to your door. Or, you can find organic Wild Wonder tomatoes at Meijer (if you live in the Midwest).
Feta Love
If you are in the I LOVE CHEESE camp, then you need to know all about feta. Feta is full of vitamins and healthy micro superhero bacteria including vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B9 (folate), iron, magnesium, and Lactobacillus plantarum (Semeco, 2017). Lactobacillus what? It’s good for your gut health and immune system.
Feta is lower in calories and fat when compared to other cheeses. It’s full of calcium which is good for your bones. Finally, the healthy micro superheroes in feta (Lactobacillus plantarum) help keep away E. coli, Salmonella, and decrease inflammation (Maragkoudakis et al., 2006).
The recipes below show two ways to include feta in your chickpea cucumber salad.
2. Savory Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad
Keep it simple! Chickpeas, red onion, cucumbers, and feta come together to create a perfect warm side dish to any Mediterranean meal.
3. Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta
Make it Mediterranean and throw in some thyme, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, arugula or dandelions greens and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar, a fermented vinegar, packs plenty of punch for your gut health. Take a look at my Balsamic Peanut Dip to read more on balsamic vinegar health benefits.
Best Super Dense Balsamic Vinegar
Fluffy Quinoa
Quinoa is full of antioxidants including flavonoids such as kaempferol and quercetin. These micro superheroes damage from free radicals that can cause chronic disease. Quinoa is high in protein and fiber, helping your blood sugar remain stable over time. It can help you feel full longer and in turn, lose weight (Navarro-Perez et al., 2017)!
To Keep Your Chickpea Salad Vegan
To keep your chickpea salad vegan, try incorporating protein through quinoa or whole grain rice. Skip the feta cheese and instead add flavor with fresh dill or buttery, healthy fats with freshly diced avocado.
4. Herb Infused Chickpea Cucumber Dill Salad
This chickpea cucumber dill salad gets a boost of flavor from fresh dill. Better yet, you can add another plant point to your daily count by using fresh herbs! This salad was inspired by home chef and do it all mom, Kristin MacLachlan!
Save yourself SO MUCH angst and just get the microwave quinoa. I don’t know about you all, but I literally cannot cook quinoa any other way.
5. Buttery Chickpea Cucumber Avocado Salad
Adding avocado to your cucumber chickpea salad will give you a boost of healthy fats without clogging your arteries.
6. Al Fresco Chickpea Pasta Salad
Swap out your quinoa for pasta! Add whole wheat pasta to seared chickpeas, onions, fresh cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and drizzle with your favorite extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice blend. This pasta salad is worthy for any summer picnic or party!
Sfoglini whole grain pasta is my favorite. The noodles are thick and look so pretty with a brightly colored assortment of veggies.
If you’re looking for other recipes to use your pasta, check out my post on How to Create Sauce Free Pasta that Gets 5 Stars.
7. Must Have Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This might sound weird, but honestly chickpea salad sandwiches are REALLY GOOD. Choose your favorite sourdough bread and pile on your chickpea cucumber salad. Top with leafy arugula and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Voila! Chickpea salad on the go.
All Things Chickpea Recipes
Chickpeas are a gut healthy superfood and are easy to throw into so many different recipes. I’ll probably end up doing posts for some of the recipe adaptations I’ve written about here. In the meantime, if you’re looking for other recipes that include chickpeas you can search chickpeas on Kait’s Cupboard. Or, check out those highlighted below.
This post was all about 7 worth it ways to make chickpea cucumber salad.
If you have a garden, go to a farmer’s market, or try to buy in season produce, give one or more of these chickpea cucumber recipes a try! Posted below is Worth It Chickpea Cucumber Salad. It’s baby approved, light, fresh, and a great way to use your garden cucumbers.
When you serve chickpea cucumber salad, everyone will want a bowl. Try it today and post your comments below!
Worth It Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 large serving bowl
Ingredients
Chickpea Sauté
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 medium red onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- Mediterranean sea salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
Cucumber Salad
- 2 large cucumbers diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 5 sprigs thyme washed and stems removed
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 large lemon juice of
- 1 cup feta roughly chopped or crumbled
- Mediterranean sea salt to taste
- ground pepper pepper plenty, to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
Chop the Vegetables
Place the Vegetables in a Large Serving Bowl
- In a large bowl, add the cucumber, tomatoes, and thyme.2 large cucumbers, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 5 sprigs thyme
Sear the Chickpeas and Onion
- In a skillet, add 1 tbsp. olive oil on medium high heat. Add red onion and garlic. Sauté 2-3 minutes.2 medium red onions, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Add chickpeas, salt, and pepper. Sear for 4-6 minutes. The chickpeas should crack open a bit and show spots of golden brown where seared. Remove from heat.1 can chickpeas, Mediterranean sea salt, ground pepper
Add the Chickpeas and Onion to the Serving Bowl
- Add chickpeas and onions to the serving bowl. Stir gently to combine.
Add the Dressing
- Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the salad. Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir gently.1/4 cup olive oil, 1 large lemon, Mediterranean sea salt, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes , ground pepper pepper
- Add feta (optional).1 cup feta
Serve!
- Serve warm right away or place in refrigerator and serve cold when you are ready.
Notes
- Use a serrated knife to cut your tomatoes.
- The feta chunk in brine is much softer than the pre-crumbled feta and melts in your mouth!
I love these salads. I make a version with orzo but never thought to cook the chickpeas. Perfect for summer and using the veggies from my garden.
Thank you! Love the idea of using orzo as well!
I made a combination of the 2, 3 & 4 salads for dinner tonight and it was a hit! And a great way to use up our garden cucumbers!
Thank you for posting a comment! That sounds really good! I’m sos glad it was a hit!
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