Here is another recipe to prepare a multi-purpose dish: a tasty light chickpea salad with cherry tomatoes and arugula. It takes 5 minutes to make — you can prepare it the night before, although it’s better to add the arugula at the moment of serving.
I make this salad often because it serves as a vegan main course that adds a protein source to a meal after a simple plate of pasta.
A few days ago I took it as a takeaway meal to my Dutch class along with some bread and I noticed it caught the interest of my classmates. It’s amazing: the simpler a dish is, the more people like it, right? Oh yes, I almost forgot: everyone at home adores it! Let’s make it and I’ll leave you some other legume salads that are nice to prepare:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 or 4
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 2 stalks celery
- to taste arugula (as desired)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- to taste lemon juice (or 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar)
- to taste salt
- Points for large portion (divided into 2) = 6 WW points
- Points for small portion (divided into 4) = 3 WW points
Preparation
If you use dried chickpeas, soak them the night before and then boil them in unsalted water the next morning. When they are cooked, add salt and let them cool, then drain them. With jarred or canned chickpeas it’s easier: rinse them well in a colander under running water and then drain.
Prepare the other ingredients: slice the celery and chop the cherry tomatoes.
In a salad bowl place the chickpeas, the cherry tomatoes, the celery and the arugula. Add salt and the oil. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon or a whole one, to taste.
Alternatively, if you don’t like lemon, you can use balsamic vinegar.
Mix well and our light chickpea salad is ready to be served. A tasty vegan dish that can be used as a main course, or as a lighter or more generous side dish.
This chickpea, cherry tomato and arugula salad is also a great idea for a takeaway meal: I recommend carrying the arugula separately and adding it at the moment of serving.
That said, I left a leftover portion in the fridge with the arugula mixed in just to try, and after three days it was still great — even tastier!
Try it, there isn’t a simpler recipe, and then tell me if you liked it — I’m in the comments or on Facebook.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use dried chickpeas for this recipe?
For this dish I prefer canned chickpeas because they stay firmer, but if you want to cook them yourself you should soak about 2/3 cup (approximately 120 g) of dried chickpeas overnight, about 12 hours, and then boil them in unsalted water for about 2 hours. If they do not soften, you can add a pinch of baking soda and cook for another half hour. Use the amount you need for serving and freeze the rest.
