This Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives is quick and easy to make, healthy, and delicious. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
What better time than summer to break out the salad recipes that don't require any cooking?
I definitely eat salad more often in the summer than at other times during the year. When it's hot, I often don't feel like eating hot foods, and I definitely don't feel like cooking them.
This Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives is a great option for one of those easy summer salads.
One of the things I love most about salads is their versatility, and this healthy and delicious salad is no exception.
Feel like eating nothing but salad for dinner? Great - this salad will give you fiber, protein, and greens.
Want a healthy but full-of-flavor side dish to go with the grilled meat or fish you're making for dinner? This salad will fit that bill too.
It's also great to serve at a picnic or potluck too because it holds well (just make sure you keep the arugula separate until you're ready to serve) and doesn't contain any allergens.
Bonus - it's gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan so it can feed all of your friends and family with dietary restrictions.
How to make Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives:
Making this salad couldn't be easier. Starting with canned chickpeas means no lengthy soaking and boiling are needed. Bonus, you get to use that aquafaba from the can to yourself a cocktail and/or some meringues.
However, the salad does require a little marinating time (30 minutes) to let the flavors meld, so it won't be on the table in minutes like with some salads.
Making the salad starts with warming the canned chickpeas to allow the dressing to soak in. This doesn't mean that the salad is served warm, as there is plenty of time to cool them while the chickpeas marinate.
While you're waiting, grate the carrots, and chop the olives and parsely. And that's pretty much all the work you'll need to do. After that it's a simple mix, and the salad is ready to put on the table.
Note that the arugula shouldn't be added until you're ready to serve the salad. I like to serve the arugula as a bed to the chickpea mixture, but if you want to mix it all together, go right ahead.
Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives Ingredients:
- Canned chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed is the best, but bottled lemon juice works too.
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Carrots
- Kalamata olives
- Fresh parsley
- Arugula or mixed greens
Want more Chickpea Recipes?
Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for larger entree-sized portions (eg. splitting the recipe into two portions). If you are serving this as a smaller side dish, split the recipe into 4 portions, and divide the nutrition information in half.
This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free as written.
Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Olives
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (save the aquafaba for another use)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives coarsely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 cups baby arugula or mixed greens
Instructions
- Pour the rinsed chickpeas into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat until hot, about 60-90 seconds. Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, to allow the dressing to absorb into the chickpeas.
- Add the shredded carrots, olives, and parsley to the chickpea mixture. At this point, you can cover and place in the fridge for a few hours, or serve it immediately.
- Split the arugula or mixed greens between two (to serve as an entree) or 4 small (to serve as a side) bowls. Top each bowl with equal amounts of the chickpea mixture. Garnish with additional parsley if desired. (Note that it's important to keep the arugula separate from the chickpea mixture until you're ready to serve it, or the arugula will wilt).
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
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