Israeli Salad with Chickpeas
Crunchy, fresh, and filling. Israeli Salad with Chickpeas is everything you want in a salad right now. Plus, spiced chickpeas!
Did you notice that everything in this salad is chopped?
Chopped Salad
This style of salad is prevalent throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. The ingredients are very similar. But each country has its own spin of spices and vinaigrettes with which to dress it.
Greece has horiatiki salad, Lebanon has fattoush, and Iran has shirazi. In Israel, the name is salat katzutz which translates to chopped salad.
The chopped salads usually contain a combo of tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion. Sometimes bell pepper. Sometimes olives.
And always lemon juice in the dressing!
I like this particular salad because it includes some plant protein: chickpeas.
Chickpeas
Sometimes called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are part of the legume family. You will often find them canned but they are also in the dried beans section at the grocery store. Occasionally my local store even has fresh ones in the produce area.
Chickpeas are high in protein. How much, you ask? A half-cup contains seven grams of protein, or about the same amount as one large egg.
Meats, poultry, eggs, dairy, and fish are all complete proteins, meaning they contain the nine essential amino acids needed by our bodies. Most plant-based proteins such as legumes, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables are considered incomplete. Not because they are inferior but because they contain some amino acids but not all nine.
The mighty chickpea, however, is considered a complete protein, because it contains all nine essential amino acids. They are also high in vitamins A, C, and E. Chickpeas also contain good fiber, which helps us to stay fuller for longer.
Lessons Learned
- Chop the cucumber, radishes, and bell pepper around the same size. Plus, it’s pretty.
- Typically, Middle Eastern-style chopped salad does not include arugula, but I added it here because I like it. Leave it out if you want a more traditional chopped salad.
- This salad is a perfect side dish for roasted chicken with sumac.
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, and their cookbook Jerusalem (which I own and love) for the spiced chickpeas and fresh vegetable salad recipe.
Israeli Salad with Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 small cucumbers
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup radishes
- 1 green bell pepper
- ¾ cup red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp ground cumin
Dressing:
- 5 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Make the salad by chopping the cucumber into ½-inch to ⅔-inch dice. Leave the skin on the cucumbers or do a combo of one peeled and one unpeeled. Place them in a large bowl.
- Cut the tomatoes in half. Trim and quarter the radishes. Chop the green bell pepper. Add them all and the chopped onion to the bowl with the cucumbers. Throw in the chopped cilantro and parsley. Toss to combine all the ingredients.
- Place the arugula on a serving platter or onto four individual plates. Spoon the chopped salad evenly over the arugula.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Lightly pat with paper towels to get rid of excess moisture. Sprinkle the sumac and cumin over the chickpeas and stir to coat. Spoon the chickpeas over the chopped salad.
- Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a jar. Secure the lid and shake to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad before serving and toss to coat.
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