This chickpea salad with pistachios and mint is a great vegetarian dish that's full of protein and fiber for digestive support. It can be eaten in a sandwich, on crackers, in a lettuce wrap or out of the bowl.
Don’t ask me why two of my recent recipes have had mint in them. I actually wasn’t a huge fan of mint until recently. It’s pretty fitting though, with it being summer and mint seems like it's everywhere - also it's super cheap at the grocery store. This summer chickpea salad is basically that dish you’ll make when you have a short work week because you're like C YA WORK, IT'S SUMMERTIME and you might work for 3 days. Not saying that this is is me or anything….
Cooked vs Canned Chickpeas
Believe it or not, there is not a huge difference in canned vs cooked chickpeas. Other canned products differ in that regard. If you are cooking from dried beans you will need to soak overnight and make according to the package instructions. Canned chickpeas, which I used in this recipe, just need to be rinsed.
How long does a Chickpea Salad last in the refrigerator?
It can last about 5 days, like normal leftovers. The chickpeas like to absorb liquid, so if you eat it within 5 days of making, that’s best.
How much protein is in a Chickpea Salad?
When I crunched the numbers in nutrifox, it came out to ~12 grams of protein for 1 cup of chickpea salad. Pair it with some crackers or whole grain bread for a full meal or just eat it as a side dish to your main protein source.
I want to highlight other nutritional benefits of chickpeas. The American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association and American Cancer society all recommend legumes as a key food group for preventing major diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is recommended to consume ½ cup of legumes per day. A serving of this salad gives you double that amount.
What to eat with a Chickpea Salad?
- Mash it up and put it on some toast
- Eat as a dip with some whole grain crackers
- Throw it in some lettuce wraps
One of the good things about this summer chickpea salad is that it's basically whatever you want it to be. Make it a snack, make it a side or make it a meal. You have the power!
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Chickpea Salad with Pistachios and Mint
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This chickpea salad with pistachios and mint is a great vegetarian dish that's full of protein and fiber for digestive support. It can be eaten in a sandwich, on crackers, in a lettuce wrap or out of the bowl.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas, 15.5 oz each
- ¼ cup red onions, diced
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 3 tbsp avocado mayo
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Garnish: Additional mint and pistachios
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas in strainer. Once dried, place in a large bowl.
- Add in celery, raisins and red onion. Toss to combine
- In a small bowl, whisk together avocado mayo and lemon juice.
- Combine avocado and lemon with chickpea mixture and stir until chickpeas are coated with avocado mayo. Sprinkle in fresh mint and place bowl in refrigerator for 20 minutes to let the flavor merry.
- Option to garnish with additional mint and pistachios! Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: lunch, dinner, side dish
- Method: assemble
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Hi! I want to try this recipe as I love chickpeas, and I am trying to eat less meat. I've never seen avocado mayo before....can I mix avocados and mayo?
No worries! It's actually a mayo product made out of avocado oil! You can find it next to the mayo in most grocery stores 🙂 Regular mayo can be substituted if you can't find it!
Hello Maggie!
I love this recipe, I'm a big fan of chickpeas (and even more hummus), I'm sure I will love this recipe! I will try it as soon as possible (maybe tomorrow 🙂).
Your blog is really cool by the way!
Best,
Mary
Thanks Mary!! Chickpeas are great! Let me know how you like it!