Try This Lettuce-Free Chickpea Salad
Do you want to eat healthy but are not a big fan of traditional salad? Truthfully, not all salads are nutritious, especially when made with iceberg lettuce and drenched in ranch dressing. Alternative salad recipes exist that do require lettuce, such as this chickpea salad from Natasha’s Kitchen. Get started on your healthy eating for the new year and try this delicious lettuce-free chickpea salad!
Ingredients for lettuce-free chickpea salad
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- 1 garlic clove pressed or minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 English Cucumber halved and sliced
- 15 oz chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
- 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese diced
Instructions
Firstly, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl: 3 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Next, mix the rest of the chickpea salad ingredients in a salad bowl, add dressing to taste and toss to coat. Lastly, enjoy this delicious and nutritious chickpea salad.
Nutrition
This chickpea salad makes 6 servings as a side and is 302 calories per serving. Each serving contains 17g of fat, 27g of carbohydrates, 8g of fiber and 10g of protein. To reduce the fat content you can make it without avocado and feta cheese. You can also add olives to give it a Mediterranean twist.
Health benefits of chickpeas
According to WebMD, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a type of legume in the same family as peanuts and kidney beans. Two major health benefits of chickpeas are that they help control blood sugar and help with digestion. Their high fiber content improves the ease and consistency of bowel movements. Their soluble fiber content also helps lower cholesterol and thus reduce the risk of heart disease. Chickpeas are high in nutrients such as magnesium and calcium which promote stronger bones. They also have the nutrient choline which helps make important chemicals to support mental health.
If you are interested in learning about the health benefits of avocados, check out our blog on avocado toast!
