Healthy Easy Cucumber Chickpea (Printable)

Crisp cucumber and hearty chickpeas tossed in tangy lemon dressing for a light, vibrant dish.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 large English cucumber, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

→ Lemon Vinaigrette

07 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red onion, chopped parsley, and mint leaves.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, sea salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better when it sits for a bit, so you can prep it ahead and forget about dinner stress.
  • One bowl of salad keeps you satisfied without that heavy feeling that makes afternoons drag.
02 -
  • Keep the dressing separate if you're making this more than a couple of hours ahead—the vegetables will weep, and your salad turns into vegetable soup without the soup part.
  • Dijon mustard is the secret that makes the dressing cling to everything instead of just pooling at the bottom like a little lemony puddle.
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest—it makes a difference you can taste, and it takes about eight seconds.
  • Taste the dressing on its own before you pour it over everything, because adjusting seasoning in the bowl is harder than getting it right in the small bowl first.
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