Are you looking for a tasty, hearty, and packed with protein chickpea salad? Then try making this chickpea salad with Dijon vinaigrette. This chickpea salad is great for lunch and a fantastic party salad for a crowd. Chickpeas are not just delicious but are high in fiber and protein. They are also a great replacement for meat because of their high protein.
One main item I keep in my pantry is a can of chickpeas. They are not only healthy for you but also plant-based. Chickpeas are very versatile. You can use them in many recipes, such as; salads, hummus, and stews. My favorite way of having chickpeas are in salads. The inspiration for this recipe came from Rachel Ray’s chickpea salad that I found on the food network site. I tweaked it and used ingredients that worked for my family and me.
What are chickpeas?
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family. They are round-shaped, nutty, and have a creamy texture. According to WebMD, chickpeas are grown in 50 different countries with health benefits such as; controlling blood sugar, helping lower cholesterol, and may lower your risk of cancer.
What ingredients do you need for the salad?
- Two cans of chickpeas
- Celery
- Red onion
- Green bell peppers
- Red bell peppers
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Cilantro
What ingredients do you need for the vinaigrette?
- Dijon mustard
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
This salad is a great recipe for whether you are plant-based or not. You can also make it vegan. If you are looking for other great salad recipes, try my Caprese salad with balsamic glaze. The Caprese salad does contain mozzarella, which has dairy, but you can substitute the mozzarella with vegan mozzarella or another vegetable. The benefits of eating chickpeas are you will get the protein and fiber you need, and you can make a big batch for the week. You can also make this for a crowd next time you gather. Enjoy!
Chickpea salad with Dijon vinaigrette
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Large spoon for mixing
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Serving bowl
- Serving spoon
- Small mason jar
- Small teaspoon
Ingredients
- 31 ounces of canned chickpeas 2 cans of chickpeas
- 1 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers diced
- 1/2 cup green bell peppers diced
- 1 clove garlic grate on rasp
- 1 tablespoon celery leaves roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and taking the skin off the canned chickpeas. It might take a little longer to take the skin off, but so worth it.
- Then start chopping your ingredients, such as red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and celery. You want to dice all these ingredients and make sure they are for the most part all the same size.
- After dicing, grate the clove of garlic on the rasp or Microplane and mix ingredients in mixing bowl.
- Put the salad to the side and get your mason jar out. Add red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and shake up very well.
- Then add salt and pepper to the salad. You can add as much or as little as you like.
- I like to add the dressing when I'm ready to serve the salad. When you are ready to serve drizzle some dijon vinaigrette right on top of the salad. Then mix.