This Mediterranean chickpea salad is my go-to dish when I want to eat well: fresh, complete and with around 108 kcal per 100 g
This Mediterranean chickpea salad is my go-to dish when I want to eat well: fresh, complete and with around 108 kcal per 100 g
Mediterranean chickpea salad is a fresh, colorful, and complete dish, perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep. It’s made with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, red onion, avocado, and feta, all dressed with a fragrant lemon, mustard, parsley, and spice dressing.
This is an ideal recipe when you want a healthy but not boring one-pot meal: chickpeas are filling , vegetables add freshness, avocado adds creaminess, and feta adds a savory touch. You can use dried chickpeas, soaking them and then cooking them, or canned chickpeas for a quicker version.
Mediterranean chickpea salad with feta and avocado: fresh, complete and with approximately 108 kcal per 100 g.
Times
Preparation: 20 minutes
Chickpeas resting: 6 hours or overnight
Cooking time for chickpeas: 60-90 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour 30 minutes, plus soaking
With canned chickpeas: about 25 minutes .
Portions
4 servings
Nutritional values
Per serving
Calories: approximately 340-380 kcal
Protein: about 13 g
Carbohydrates: about 30 g
Fat: about 20 g
Fiber: about 10 g
Per 100 g
Calories: approximately 108-130 kcal
Protein: about 4 g
Carbohydrates: about 10 g
Fat: about 6 g
The value of 108 kcal is more realistic per 100 g and may vary depending on the amount of oil, feta, olives, and avocado.
Ingredients
180g dried chickpeas
or 400g drained canned chickpeas
150g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
100 g of black olives cut into slices
80 g crumbled feta
2 small cucumbers cut into half moons
1 avocado , peeled, pitted and diced
1 red onion, chopped or thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Smoked paprika to taste
Garlic powder to taste
For the sauce
50 g of extra virgin olive oil
5 g of parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of honey
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Oregano to taste
Turmeric to taste
Pepper mix to taste
Salt to taste
Preparation
Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl, cover them with plenty of water and leave them to soak for at least 6 hours , preferably overnight.
Drain, rinse, and transfer to a pot. Cover with clean water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 60-90 minutes , until tender.
If using canned chickpeas, drain them and rinse them well under running water.
In a large bowl, place the halved cherry tomatoes , the half-moon cucumbers , the diced avocado , the red onion and the black olives .
Heat a nonstick pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the well-drained chickpeas, season with smoked paprika and garlic powder , and sauté for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Let them cool for a few minutes.
Add the chickpeas to the vegetables and mix gently.
Make the sauce: In a tall container, pour the extra virgin olive oil , lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, honey, parsley, oregano, turmeric, pepper and salt.
Blend with an immersion blender until you obtain a smooth and fragrant sauce.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Finally, add the crumbled feta and mix gently, so as not to break up the avocado too much.
Serve immediately or let rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Advice
For a lighter version, you can reduce the oil in the sauce to 25-30 g and add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water or lemon juice.
If you want to prepare it ahead of time, add the avocado just before serving, so it doesn’t brown.
You can replace the feta with primo sale, cottage cheese, or cubed tofu for a different version.
Conservation
Mediterranean chickpea salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days , stored in an airtight container.
If it contains avocado, it’s best to consume it within the same day or add a few extra drops of lemon to keep it clearer.
