How fresh and delicious the chickpea salad with tuna, arugula, and cherry tomatoes is. With the arrival of the heat, we only crave cold dishes that are easy to prepare and light, and the chickpea salad is an excellent alternative to the classic rice salad or pasta, or the classic potato salad. I often prepare cold dishes, even before summer arrives, as here in Calabria it’s not uncommon for the heat to arrive early or for the summer to extend into the fall, so cold dishes are always the best to bring to the table on these hot days. Preparing chickpea salad is very easy; you can use dried chickpeas, cooked in advance, or make plenty to freeze them and have them always ready, or you can use precooked ones, just open a jar! I often prepare boiled chickpeas at home, then I freeze them, and when I feel like it, I defrost them and make delicious salads. Today I thought about adding some tuna in oil so the salad is richer, and we can make it a delicious and fresh single dish enriched with arugula and cherry tomatoes.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for Chickpea Salad with Tuna, Arugula, and Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, boiled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups arugula
- 1.8 oz tuna in olive oil
- as needed black olives
- as needed olive oil
- 1 Tropea red onion
- as needed oregano
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
Steps for Chickpea Salad with Tuna, Arugula, and Cherry Tomatoes
Drain the chickpeas well and place them in a bowl; if using canned ones, rinse them quickly.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add them to the chickpeas.
Slice a Tropea red onion and add it to our chickpea salad.
Drain and flake the tuna and add it to the chickpea salad.
Slice some black olives, or if you prefer, other types of olives such as Calabrian monacal olives, or Leccino, or Taggiasca olives. Add the olives as well.
Season with oil, salt, and dried oregano.
Give it a good mix and place it in the fridge.
Add the arugula before serving; if the leaves are too large, cut them a bit. Mix well and serve. Do not add the arugula too early, or it will become too soggy.
Instead of chickpeas, you can also use beans, pasta, rice, or potatoes.
