Chickpea Tzatziki Salad features canned chickpeas and cubed cucumber in a creamy Greek yogurt-based dressing with dill and lemon.
If you're a fan of Tzatziki, the Greek yogurt and cucumber-based dip with dill, garlic, and lemon, then you'll love today's recipe. This recipe turns the beloved dip into a meal with the simple addition of one (or two, if you like) simple ingredients.
The recipe I'm talking about is Chickpea Tzatziki Salad. With the simple addition of canned chickpeas, and maybe some lettuce, and a change in how the cucumber is prepped, the creamy Greek dip is turned into an incredibly easy vegetarian meal. If tzatziki is your favorite dip, keep reading to learn how to make this healthy salad.
How to Make Chickpea Tzatziki Salad
Making this healthy and delicious salad is incredibly easy and takes only minutes. No special equipment is required. Start by making the dressing, which simply entails stirring together some Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Cut a whole cucumber into cubes. Note that if you're using a thicker-skinned garden cucumber, you might want to peel it first, and scoop out the seeds if they're large. There is no need to do this if you use an English cucumber.
Drain the chickpeas (save the aquafaba for another recipe, if desired) and rinse them. Add the chickpeas and cucumber to the dressing, and toss to coat.
Serve the salad over a bed of lettuce or other mixed greens and garnish with an extra sprinkle of dill if desired.
Store the leftover salad (separate from any lettuce) in an airtight container in the fridge.
Chickpea Tzatziki Salad Ingredients
- Plain Greek yogurt - Any milkfat percentage will work here, but don't substitute plain regular yogurt, as the dressing will be too runny
- Minced dill - Make sure to use fresh dill here, not dried.
Dill Pro-Tip
Since you normally only use dill in small amounts, but it often comes in large bunches, it can be easy to forget about leftovers and have it go to waste in the produce drawer.
But dill freezes well, and previously frozen dill will taste the same as fresh. The easiest way to freeze dill is to simply freeze the remaining bunch, whole. When you need it for another recipe, simply take it out of the freezer and mince what you need, straight from frozen.
Just make sure to package it well in an airtight freezer bag or container, or the potent smell will permeate your entire freezer.
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice - Fresh-squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled will work here too.
- Kosher salt
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is best here, avoid jarred
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Canned chickpeas - you can either use regular or low-sodium chickpeas here. Make sure to save the aquafaba (chickpea water) for another use
- English Cucumber - you will need an entire cucumber here.
- Mixed greens or lettuce - This is optional, but I recommend serving the salad on a bed of lettuce.
Want more chickpea salad recipes?
Chickpea Tzatziki Salad Nutrition Notes
The recipe below serves 4 as an entrée or 8 as an appetizer/side. The nutrition information is for an entrée-sized portion of the salad. If you're going to be eating an appetizer-sized portion of the salad, divide all of the nutrition facts in half.
The nutrition information does not include the optional lettuce/leafy greens to serve the salad, but these will add only minimal calories, fat, or carbohydrates (they will add some fiber and micronutrients).
This salad recipe is gluten-free as written.
Chickpea Tzatziki Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Stir together 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 Tablespoons minced dill, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the minced garlic, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.
- Stir in the drained chickpeas (make sure to save the aquafaba for another use) and the cubed cucumber.
- If desired, serve the salad over a bed of mixed greens or the lettuce of your choice. Otherwise, serve the salad in bowls, garnish with additional dill if desired.
Nutrition
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