Chopped Chickpea Salad makes the perfect light lunch for those busy days. This salad has chickpeas, chopped vegetables, fresh parsley and a light lemony dressing with za’atar {or the seasoning of your choice}.  You could even try this salad with grilled chicken on top, in a pita sandwich or over hummus. 

Chickpeas in salads are my thing.

When Sunday rolls around and I start meal planning for the week ahead, salads are top of my list.  Lunch can be crazy at my house between trying to feed Andrew after nap time and then making it on time to pick up Will from preschool. Pre-made salads that are portioned out ahead of time are the key to my lunch success throughout the week.

The nice thing about a salad like this Chopped Chickpea Salad is the versatility that it offers. You can add so many additional things to your salad depending on your tastes. With this salad I have added different types of cheese from feta to blue cheese. Do you like roasted red peppers or artichokes? Slice up a few of those and throw them in.

The dressing on this salad is a light lemony dressing with some za’atar for spice.

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice that I love adding to salads with lemon and olive oil.  I buy mine when I visit my parents and we make a trip to Asheville, NC.  The Spice & Tea Exchange always has small little bags of za’atar that are perfect for these types of salads, so stocking up is always in order when were are there. I have tried a lot of different variations of za’atar and their’s is my favorite. I think their secret is a little extra dash of sumac and sesame seeds.

If you are wondering where to buy za’atar check your local grocery store’s ethnic area.  If you don’t have luck there head to a specialty store that carries more ethnic ingredients. 

If you aren’t a fan of za’atar or can’t find it, then you can substitute a different spice in its place. A few good options that I have tried include paprika, oregano or sumac.

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Chopped Chickpea Salad

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Chopped Chickpea Salad makes the perfect light lunch for those busy days. This salad has chickpeas, chopped vegetables, fresh parsley and a light lemony dressing with za'atar {or the seasoning of your choice}. You could even try this salad with grilled chicken on top, in a pita sandwich or over hummus.

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Ingredients

• 1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon za'atar {optional seasoning, you can use other seasoning in its place like sumac or paprika or oregano}

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the chickpeas, celery, cucumber, green peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley.
2. In a mason jar put the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and seasoning of choice. Put the lid on the dressing and shake.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir. Add more of less seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Refrigerate for one hour. Serve cold.

Notes

If you have leftovers you can store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you eat the salad again you may have to add more olive oil or lemon to taste if the salad has soaked it up.
Other options to add to the salad:
Feta cheese
Goat cheese
Blue cheese
Cube Mozzarella
Sliced roasted red peppers
Grilled chicken
Sliced artichokes