This is a terrific salad with vibrant colors and a great combination of flavors. It’s also quite versatile: it’s a great side dish to bring to a pot-luck or BBQ, a nutritious meal you can pack for tasty lunch, and stuff any leftovers into a pita for a nutritious sandwich. Exact measurements aren’t important, so feel free to add more or less of what’s listed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 19-oz can chickpeas, drained)
- 1 15-oz can artichoke hearts (in water), drained and chopped
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced red or green pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion (or green onions)
- 1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup crumbled light feta cheese (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley (flat leaf/Italian works best), finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Dressing
- 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. sugar
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, artichokes, onion, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, feta cheese, parsley, and mint.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine dressing ingredients. Toss over chickpea salad.
This looks pretty served in a bowl lined with greens. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 8 Generous (1 cup+) Servings.
Nutrition Notes
You can’t go wrong with this salad. . . check out some of the nutrients in these all-star ingredients. . . .
- Chickpeas
are a great source of fiber, protein, and B-vitamins. They are also rich in important minerals, including iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, calcium, and zinc. - Artichokes are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber (1/2 cup contains 6 g fiber and only 25 calories). They also contain the flavonoid silymarin, an antioxidant being studied for cancer prevention potential.
Garlic contains many protective compounds that are being studied for their disease-fighting effects.- Fresh parsley is a good source of vitamin C, and also provides beta-carotene and lutein (another carotenoid) and natural plant compounds (flavonoids and limonene) that may have disease-fighting properties.
- Sweet peppers not only add colour, but plenty of nutrition. Red peppers are especially rich in Vitamin C, supplying twice as much Vitamin C as one medium orange.
- Onions contain sulfur compounds that are thought to help cells detoxify potential carcinogens, and are a good source of the dietary flavenoid quercetin, which is associated with reduced chronic inflammation.
- Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, beta-carotene, and Vitamin C, compounds with potential disease-fighting properties.
Nutrition per Serving
- 155 calories
- 7 g protein
- 20 g carbohydrates
- 5 g fat (1.3 g sat)
- 4 mg cholesterol
- 4.3 g fiber
- 430 mg sodium
- 300 mg potassium
You’ll find more healthy recipes here.
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