healthy recipes : Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 2 15-oz cans chickpeas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 2 large tomatoes, diced to 1/2″
• 4 persian cucumbers, diced to 1/2″
• 1 yellow bell peper, diced to 1/2″
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced to 1/2″
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup minced fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

• Drain the chick peas, transfer to a strainer, then rinse under cool running water until the water runs clean from the strainer.

• In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas with the lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge. Marinate at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.

• While the chickpeas marinate, dice the vegetables and chop the fresh herbs.

• Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, mint, and parsley to the marinated chickpeas and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed until the flavor pops. 

• Serve immediately with fresh pita. If time permits, chill for 30 minutes, then serve. Store leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days. 

Notes

• Substitute chickpeas 3 cups of cooked-from-scratch chickpeas for canned chickpeas. 

• If time allows, chill the finished salad for 30 minutes. 

• Season with salt conservatively if using canned chickpeas as they tend to have a high sodium content. Taste for seasoning at the end and add more if needed. 

• Dice the vegetables to a uniform size of about half an inch, roughly the size of a chickpea, for best texture.

• Optional:  add a a cup of feta cheese along with the chopped vegetables.

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