Chickpea Greek Salad
Just as quickly as spring seemed to sneak up on us, it seems that summer is coming in hot and heavy.
(At least it is in the Okanagan. My apologies to those who still saw snow this past week.)
That being said, these warmer days have me wanting cold salads. One of my favourite things to do in the summer is make two or three salads at a time and have them in the fridge as a lunch, a quick side to dinner, or as a snack for wee ones when I can corral them long enough to get food into them as they run around outside all day.
I’m sure you’ve had Greek salad before: cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, onions, and feta in a zippy dressing. I bulk things up a bit with the addition of chickpeas and make it interesting with some fresh herbs. It’s so good I’ve made it multiple times this week with the kids being the biggest of its fans.
Chickpea Greek Salad
2-3 cups of chickpeas (1-700g can, drained and rinsed, or 2-3 cups scratch cooked)
1 cucumber, diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced*
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsps fresh dill, finely chopped
3 tbsps fresh parsley, finely chopped
Olives**
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of a lemon
2 tbsps of red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced or crushed
Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
1. Make your dressing in a large bowl. Pick a bowl larger than you think you might need to ensure you have mixing space. Set aside.
2. Chop all your veg and herbs and feta and add them to the bowl with the dressing.
3. Add in your chickpeas and mix it all to combine.
4. Eat right away OR if you had the foresight to plan ahead of time, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. It’s delicious the next day and the best part of a speedy lunch.
*My oldest will not touch a meal if it has raw onions in it. I pick my battles, this is not one I’m willing to fight. So I leave them out but I know many people like them in Greek salad. My youngest would be one of those people as she loves onions and has been known to bite them like apples.
**I will not eat anything that has an olive in it. So I definitely leave those out. If you love them, feel free to measure those with your heart and add your favourites.