High-Protein Chickpea Salad |Easy Lunch Recipe
This high-protein chickpea salad packs 18g protein and 12g fiber per serving. Made with leftover chole or freshly cooked chickpeas for a Mediterranean-style salad. Perfect for meal prep or a quick lunch.
Chickpeas or chole may as well be one of the most underrated ingredients in our kitchens right now. The modest legume that you were considering soaking for tomorrow’s lunch? Or leftover chole from yesterday’s meal prep? Yep, the same.
The problem is that we often make chickpeas predictable – Yes, chole masala is great, but how often can you repeat it in the same week? That’s why should try this chickpea salad with its simple ingredients, great flavors and takes around 10 minutes to assemble once the chickpeas are cooked. Very versatile as well – choose to include or substitute one or more ingredients as I’ve outlined below, and it would taste just as delicious.
Why chickpeas are a weight loss superfood?
Not throwing around the word “superfood” lightly here, even though chickpeas are undoubtedly one of my favorite ingredients. The science behind chickpeas and weight loss is definitely impressive. Their high protein and fiber content (one cup of cooked chickpeas contains 14.5g of protein and 12.5g of fiber) makes them filling, thus promoting better appetite control and easy weight management.
High Protein + High Fiber in a meal = Ultimate Satiety
Protein takes longer to digest. Fiber adds bulk and slows the digestion process further, thereby keeping you genuinely fuller for hours. As a result, you don’t start eyeing the Maggi pack or momo kiosks by mid-afternoon.
Low Glycemic Index meals = Better weight management
Chickpeas have a GI of 28, and given that any food with a GI lesser than 55 is considered “low”,
Why my chickpea salad for lunch?
- No cooking needed (except the chickpeas, of course, unless you used canned ones). You literally need to chop and mix, easy!
- Tastes better than you imagined. The nutty chickpeas, creaminess of feta, crunchy veggies, briny olives and brightness of lemons – what’s not to love?
- No reheating needed. This salad tastes best when cold or at room temperature.
- Stays fresh for hours. Need to pack lunch for office? This makes for the perfect choice – no more soggy, sorry-looking salad options.
- Actually keeps you full for longer. Ingredients high in protein and fiber to ensure your blood sugar stays stable and mindless cravings remain at bay.
What goes in my high protein chickpea salad?
Here’s what I usually include in my easy chickpea salad:
- Chickpeas – The star ingredient of this salad, and of course, a nutritional powerhouse.
- Cucumbers – Think crisp, refreshing flavor. I prefer using the more slender and narrower English or Persian cucumbers as these have fewer seeds.
- Olives – Green, black or kalamata olives. Green olives add essential tang, whereas black olives are juicier and subtler.
- Bell peppers/ Capsicum – Crunchy, flavorful and full of antioxidants – bell peppers can also make your salad colorful. A one-cup serving of bell peppers or capsicum provides 2.5grams of dietary fiber. It’s rich fiber content can keep heart diseases and diabetes at bay. Bell peppers also offer greater satiety and keep you full for hours, thus aiding easy weight management.
- Tomatoes –rich in lycopene – an antioxidant that offers several health benefits like reduced risk of heart conditions and diseases like cancer. Cherry tomatoes are preferred as they release less water into the salad and hold up better.
- Onions – For the flavor and crunch that adds to the deliciousness of the salad. Use red onions or spring onions for milder flavor. Alternatively, to reduce the strength of the onions, try soaking sliced onions in water for 10 minutes before use (like I did here).
- Red cabbage (optional) – To add more crunch and a unique flavor profile. Not to mention, a bunch of health benefits like improved fiber content, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
- Feta – Tangy with a sharp kick, yet creamy – feta compliments this salad amazingly. I’ll admit it – I often make this salad so I can relish one of my favorite cheeses aka feta!
- Dressing – This salad utilizes the simplest ingredients, yet manages to deliver a flavor punch. The star ingredient is the extra virgin olive oil. I add lime juice to help contrast the creaminess of chickpeas and feta. Also, some freshly ground pepper for some spice kick, salt and voila, we have a worthy dressing!
How to make this Easy Lunch Chickpea Salad?
Hop on, we’re going to make the easiest and delicious mediterranean chickpea salad:
Step 1: Prep and cook the chickpeas
Rinse the dried chickpeas in water and soak them overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain the water from soaked chickpeas, rinse under the sink and transfer to pressure cooker. Add water, salt and cook for 15 minutes on the pressure cooker.
Step 2: Make the dressing first
In a clean, dry glass jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Adjust to your taste — it should be bright and punchy. Letting it rest as you prep the salad will help unify the flavors better.
Step 3: Pickle the onions (optional, but advised)
To adjust the sharp, eye-watering bite of raw onions, give the sliced onions a quick rinse under cool tap water, or better yet, soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Discard the water.
Next, add lemon juice, a pinch of salt (optional), and set aside for pickling. Pickled onions add another tangy, crunchy element to the salad. But of course, skip this step if in a hurry.
Step 4: Assemble the high-protein chickpea salad
Now for assembling the salad, first add cooked, drained, cooled chickpeas to a bowl. Next, add in the pickled onions, halved tomatoes, diced cucumbers and bell peppers, sliced red cabbage and olives.
Next, crush the mint leaves lightly in your fingers and add to the bowl. Now pour the dressing over. At this point, toss and combine all the ingredients together.
Finally, crumble the feta gently over the salad. Resist the urge to mix aggressively – you want chunks in each mouthful, not mush.
Step 5: Serve/ store
You can serve immediately, but I find that the flavors deepen over time, so I make it ahead and let it sit if I have the time) for 1-2 hours if possible, before relishing. You can refrigerate this for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
High-Protein Chickpea Salad Recipe | Easy Office Lunch
Ingredients
For Cooking Chickpeas
- 0.5 cups dried chickpeas (Kabuli chana) or 185g, yields 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas (Refer to Notes if using canned chickpeas)
- 2 cups water for soaking overnight or at least 8 hours
- 2 cups water to pressure cook soaked chickpeas
- 1/2 tsp salt adjust as needed
For the Salad
- 1 medium cucumber (kheera) diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes 12-15, halved (or 1 big tomato, chopped)
- 1 capsicum (bell pepper) diced, (any color)
- 1/2 cup red cabbage 40g, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 10-12 olives, sliced (green, black, or kalamata)
- 50 grams feta cheese about ¼ cup, crumbled
- 2 tbsp lemon juice for pickling onions (optional)
- handful mint leaves chopped (optional)
For the Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin preferably
- 1 lemon squeezed
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
Prep and Cook the Chickpeas
- Rinse the dried chickpeas in water and soak them overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain the water from soaked chickpeas, rinse under the sink and transfer to pressure cooker. Add water, salt and cook for 15 minutes on the pressure cooker.
Make the lemony-garlicky Dressing
- In a clean, dry glass jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust. Let it rest as you prep the salad.
Pickle the Onions (optional, but advised)
- To adjust the sharp, eye-watering bite of raw onions, give the sliced onions a quick rinse under cool tap water, or better yet, soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Discard the water.
- Add lemon juice, a pinch of salt (optional), and set aside.
Assemble the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Add cooked, drained, cooled chickpeas to a bowl.
- Add in the pickled onions, halved tomatoes, diced cucumbers and bell peppers, sliced red cabbage and olives
- Next, crush the mint leaves lightly in your fingers and add to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing over. Toss and combine all the ingredients together.
- Crumble the feta gently over the salad. Don't mix aggressively – you want chunks in each mouthful, not mush.
Serve or Store
- You can serve immediately, but I find that the flavors deepen over time, so I make it ahead and let it sit (if I have the time) for 1-2 hours if possible, before relishing. Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Notes
- If using canned chickpeas, avoid the soaking and cooking steps for dried chickpeas. Rinse the canned chickpeas, drain thoroughly before use.
- Liquid in the cooked/ canned chickpeas tends to make the salad watery and blander. For best results, pat the drained cooked/ canned chickpeas dry with a kitchen towel before tranferring to the salad bowl.
- Leftover pickled onions, if any, can be transferred to an airtight jar and used for toasts, sandwiches, salads etc
Nutrition
Variations and substitutions for my high protein chana salad
The ingredients used can serve as a broad guideline, instead of being a hard set rule. Here’s how you can modify this chickpea salad to make it your own:
Switch the beans
Yes, chickpeas is the star ingredient here. However, you can swap it with other equally healthy cooked/ canned beans and seeds like lima beans, broad beans, fava, edamame, buckwheat, quinoa, black beans. I’ve used cooked black beans as well and it’s always turned out great!
Increase the protein content
Add in sliced hard-boiled eggs/ tuna chunks/ tofu or even paneer aka cottage cheese to improve the protein content.
Use what you have
No need to feel restricted – instead of using the same veggies I added, switch it up by adding what’s available in your fridge. Have whole seeds and nuts handy? Play with textures, crunch, flavors to make it more wholesome and satisfying to your palette.
Try pickling/ marinating the chickpeas
make it more interesting by pickling/ soaking the chickpeas (or any other beans) in the dressing beforehand. This amazing tip was scored from the genius Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats. See the recipe here.
Cater to your dietary preferences
This salad is versatile, so you can easily customize it to fit your dietary requirements and restrictions. Wish to make it vegan? Skip the feta cheese and include roasted tofu chunks instead.
Serve it in innovative ways!
Put an interesting spin to this chickpea mediterranean salad by making a buddha bowl out of leftover salad, add it to fresh baked pita to make pita pockets or use this as filling for tacos, burrito wraps or sandwiches.
High protein chana salad – Frequently asked questions
Easy. Try a two-container method: Container 1 with all ingredients but the dressing. Container 2 with the dressing. Pour the dressing over the ingredients during lunch. Enjoy your fresh, crunchy salad.
Yes. But cherry toms do retain their shape better, hold the moisture and typically have fewer seeds. On the other hand, a chopped regular tomato will release its juices into the salad, rendering it runnier. Remove the seeds before adding.
Of course yes! Black chickpeas or bengal gram have a higher fiber content and a nuttier flavor, rendering it perfect for substituting with kabuli chana. It’s denser however, so you may need to pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles longer. Try sprouting it beforehand to increase the bioavailability of protein and other nutrients.
Yes! Chickpeas have a low Glycemic Index of 28, so it doesn’t spike blood sugar suddenly. The high fiber content of this salad ensures slower digestion and steady glucose absorption. Go easier on the feta and olive oil to keep it further diabetes-friendly.
Absolutely yes! The ingredients of the salad make it a nutritious, high-satiety, healthy meal that can potentially help stave away cravings for unhealthier foods. To make it a more balanced/ filling meal, serve over a bed of cooked quinoa or add protein in the form of boiled eggs, paneer or shredded chicken.
Here are the 3 possible reasons: 1. Chickpeas weren’t drained or cooled before being added to the salad. 2. Tomatoes released water in the salad (which is why it’s better to use cherry tomatoes or deseed regular tomatoes before adding). 3. Excess dressing added to the salad.
Looking for more salad/ one-pot ideas?
Do try our:
- Rainbow Lentil Salad
- One Pot Pasta with Chickpeas, Capers and Tomato Sauce
- Amaranth Peach Feta Walnut Salad
- Easy Avocado Apple Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
If you’ve tried this chickpea mediterranean salad recipe, I’d love to hear from you how you liked it— please leave a comment and rating down below! Your feedback matters a great deal to me!
