Cucumber Chickpea Salad

Cucumber chickpea salad is cool and crunchy, with a slightly sweet tang from an easy homemade dressing. This easy, healthy dish is great for summer barbecues, easy lunches, and meal prep.

Want a crowd-pleaser of a recipe that only takes ten minutes, made with ingredients that are likely already in your fridge and pantry now? Look no further! I made this cucumber chickpea salad to be an incredibly easy, yet delicious, side dish that could be thrown together for a summery get-together. Fresh and crisp, this lettuce-less salad is perfect to bring to a party – no fear of wilting greens! It’s the same reason this salad ended up being so great for meal prep, too!

What ingredients do you need to make cucumber chickpea salad?

A can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), a large cucumber, and a couple stalks of celery are the main ingredients. Flavor is added with some fresh parsley and a quick homemade dressing made from staples like red wine vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, and honey. And that’s it!

How do you make cucumber chickpea salad?

This recipe is EASY – minimal prep and no cooking required! Start by grabbing a can of chickpeas from your pantry, then drain into a strainer in your sink and rinse.

Chop your cucumber and thinly slice the celery. Give a big handful of parsley a fine chop, then toss these four ingredients into a bowl.

Whip up a quick homemade dressing by whisking together red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and you. are. DONE! Seriously, that simple!

Are there any substitutions I can make?

Given that this is called cucumber chickpea salad, I’d recommend keeping the cucumbers and chickpeas. 😉 But truly, you can use any other legume in your pantry – I made a similar version once with black beans when I didn’t realize I was out of chickpeas!

I love the addition of celery – it adds freshness, and I always seem to have celery on hand that I’m trying to use up while they’re still crisp. But you could substitute or just add in other vegetables you have on hand or enjoy. Try julienned carrots, finely chopped red onion, diced bell peppers, or quartered grape tomatoes.

With the homemade dressing, you could also use balsamic vinegar, or really any other vinegar/ oil combination you prefer in your salads. You can sub agave or maple syrup instead of honey, too (this will make it vegan, btw!).

And truthfully – you could skip the homemade dressing and use a store-bought one you prefer (a balsamic, Italian, or Greek vinaigrette would be delicious!).

As far as the parsley, I am a big big big fan of using fresh herbs in recipes. They add tremendous flavor and also bring in more micronutrients and phytonutrients. You could use flat leaf parsley or sub your favorite herb (or whatever is growing in your garden). Try basil, mint, cilantro, or thyme! All will change the flavors of the recipe, though, so just a head’s up!

What type of cucumber did you use?

I used a regular cucumber, but since my daughter doesn’t dig the seeds, I took them out. If you want to remove the seeds, just slice your cucumber in half (hot dog style) and use a spoon to scrape the seeds out. Then chop the cucumber like normal!

You can use any type of cucumber – seedless, English, Persian, etc. I just found regular cucumbers for 39 cents the week I shot this recipe, so that’s what you see here! The recipe ingredients reflect the total volume amount (3 cups) as opposed to x-number of cucumbers, so this way you can use whichever cucumber you prefer more easily.

How can I use this cucumber chickpea salad in my meal prep?

SO easily! Like I mentioned before, this salad is a very sturdy salad since it’s sans lettuce. It’s also full of some of my top considerations when considering a balanced, nourishing meal: fiber, protein, and non-starchy vegetables.

You could just eat this salad on its own for a meal (up the portion size, and maybe add a side or two, like fruit, yogurt, or even toss in something like rice or quinoa to up the staying power).

I personally find eating a little more protein leaves me more satisfied so I can just move on with my busy day and not be distracted by getting hungry again an hour later. So I really enjoy this for lunch paired with some leftover chicken or salmon and some fruit. (P.S. Don’t fear the sugar in fruit, fruit is amazing for you!)

How long with this salad last?

I would recommend eating this salad within 2 days for optimal freshness.

What recipes would this pair well with?

If you’re enjoying this as a side to a barbecue or looking for some other dishes to pair this with for your meal prep, try some of these recipes:

• BBQ Chicken Skewers with Zucchini
• Avocado Deviled Eggs
• Easy Salmon Patties
• Tomato Basil Chicken Kebabs
• Coconut Lime Chicken Collard Wraps
• Orange Herb Grilled Salmon
• Adobo Chickpea Sweet Potato Burgers

Similar recipes on Nutrition to Fit:

If you enjoyed this cucumber chickpea salad, try some of these other Nutrition to Fit recipes!

• Cranberry Crunch Broccoli Slaw
• Chickpea Quinoa Salad with Turnip Greens
• Kale Caprese Salad
• Zucchini Noodle Antipasto Salad
• Sunflower Seed Tabbouleh
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Balsamic Thyme Tomato Salad
• Broccoli Kale Quinoa Salad