As the summer approaches in the Pacific Northwest and temperatures start to rise above 80°, I ask myself how to make it through. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the heat, but only if there’s water around for swimming. This recipe was inspired by one of the first hot weeks this year. I wanted a nice filling meal without too much fuss and minimal heating. My Chickpea Tahini Salad recipe fits that description perfectly, so if you’re looking for healthy and easy with minimal cooking then read on!
Ingredients
- Leafy green salad mix
- Dry baked chickpeas
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Garlic Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Optional: Grilled chicken breast or plant based chicken alternative
You can use any salad mix that floats your boat, but personally I think that the slight bitterness of a power greens mix (spinach, baby kale, that sort of thing) really compliments the flavors in the dressing. I also prefer to use an english cucumber and grape or cherry tomatoes, but if budget stands between you and this salad then opt for a regular cucumber and roma tomato! Lastly, you can bake delicious chickpeas at home for cheap, but if you’re going to eat this salad a lot or have a few more dollars in the budget this week, try out some pre-baked chickpeas from the store! It saves you some time and hassle baking on a hot day. I’ve got an easy 5 minute recipe for Garlic Lemon Tahini Sauce on my site, but if you’ve got a store bought favorite that’ll work too.
How to Make This Salad
Generally I think salads are pretty self explanatory. Toss it all together, right? Mostly.
If you’re making my Garlic Lemon Tahini Sauce then begin with that and let it rest while you put together your salad. Next, toss your greens in a large bowl. If you’re adding a higher protein source the pop it in then microwave or toaster oven. While your protein cooks, wash and cut your tomato and cucumber to your liking. I like my cherry tomatoes in halves and my cucumber in rounds, then quarters for a nice manageable size. You can measure out the chickpeas or just toss on handful; whatever works for you. Toss is all together, add your protein on top, and drizzle on that dressing!
Helpful Tools
Personally I do like to add a plant based protein patty onto my salad for flavor, texture, and satiety. I like to use Alpha Foods Crispy Vegan Chick’n Patties, which I put in a toaster oven to cook. I recommend getting a toaster oven for those times when you want something smaller nice and crisp, but you don’t want to waste all that energy heating a whole oven for one item. Plus, the toaster oven is smaller and therefore heats to the desired temperature faster!
Another tool I like to use for this recipe is a basic small cheese grater. Yes, you could purchase a microplane, but honestly a cheap little handheld grater gets you similar results and is more versatile. I like to use the grater in this recipe to make the dressing as well as sprinkle a little lemon zest over my finished salad.
Chickpea Tahini Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups power greens salad mix
- 1/2 cup baked chickpeas
- 1/2 cup dried chickpeas
- 1/3 english cucumber, cut into quarters
- 8 grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup Garlic Lemon Tahini Dressing, linked in notes below
Optional Toppings:
- lemon zest
- chicken breast or vegetarian chicken patty
Instructions
- To begin, make my quick and easy Garlic Lemon Tahini Dressing, then let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Prepare to mix salad by washing and cutting your cucumber and tomatoes.
- Roughly measure out your chickpeas.
- Toss all the ingredients together or layer and top with a dressing drizzle.
Notes
- For the right amount of greens, I would count 1 cup as 1 large handful.
- With the cucumber, I recommend cutting it in half lengthwise, then slicing around 1 inch chunks so that you’ve got bite sized pieces.
- You certainly do not have to use an english cucumber, but I find them to be crunchier.
- You can always bake your chickpeas ahead of time (recipe coming soon!) and store them for approximately one week. Another option is to buy already baked ones at your local bulk section or grocery store.
- When tossing the salad, be gentle so as not to bruise the tomatoes.