Chickpea and Beetroot Salad is a colourful vegetarian bowl of chickpeas, beetroot, feta, scallions, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and toasted almond bits drizzled with a simple dressing. It’s a healthy and fulfilling lunch or side dish that can be made beforehand.
Chickpea and Beetroot Salad is a great, easy lunch with various flavours and colours. It is perfect for bringing to work, picnics, or as a side dish. The chickpeas add a good dose of plant-based protein, while the beetroot provides antioxidants and fibre. The feta cheese brings creaminess and a salty bite that contrasts beautifully with the earthy beets.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
These little beige balls, also called garbanzo beans, are a great way to fill up on proteins to give you energy throughout the day.
Whether you use pre-cooked, canned or fresh chickpeas, this Chickpea and Beetroot Salad will melt your heart!
Fun Facts About Chickpeas
- Chickpeas have been cultivated for up to 7000 years, making them the oldest cultivated legumes in the world.
- You can make amazing stuff with chickpea water, called aquafaba, like mayonnaise, mousse, and meringue. It magically replaces eggs in many vegan recipes. *Check this for more!
- They are a super sustainable food! Unlike many other crops, like soya beans, they don’t need much water, fertilizer, or pesticides to grow. Plus, they can absorb nitrogen from the air and transform it to feed their soil, making them an excellent natural fertilizer.
- In some parts of the world, chickpeas are used as coffee beans, roasted and served as a hot beverage. It makes a caffeine-free drink with a nutty flavour.
- Chickpeas are even more beneficial for your health when eaten raw and sprouted. It is also apparently easier to digest this way.
Holy Beetroot
Whether you buy them pre-cooked or make your own roasted beets, these ruby-red root veggies are unique. First, they offer a solid pink colour to the food you use them with, which could be great for a “baby shower party”! Second, they have unique healthy benefits and are among the top 10 antioxidant vegetables (check it out). This root is a strong contender in supporting longevity and helping you live to 100 years old.
I’ve used pre-cooked beets for this recipe, which are great when you are in a hurry. But if you prefer making them yourself, envelop them in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and cook them in the oven at 200° (400F) for an hour or so. Check with a knife for tenderness, and voila!
The Dressing
All salads must have a dressing, and there is nothing like a simple one to kick up this medley of veggies! To make the pink of the beetroot shine, I’ve used a light-coloured vinegar—white balsamic vinegar, which I love and is less acidic than other types of vinegar. But a lovely cider vinegar would do, too, here.
Unlike green salad dressings, the oil-vinegar ratio differs here: add more vinegar than oil to make it shine through. Don’t be scared; it won’t be too acidic; it will simply help balance out the sweet chickpeas and beetroot. There is no need to emulsify your dressing; just drizzle the oil and vinegar over the ingredients.
Variations
- Starting with the dressing, you could use any pre-made Italian or acidic-based dressing you like.
- The feta could be replaced with fresh goat cheese.
- Another alternative to the scallion would be chive, shallot, or spring onion cut finely.
- The grilled almond bits could be any nut you prefer: pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, etc., even hemp seeds.
- The Chickpea and Beetroot Salad is served with crunchy baby spinach leaves to add fresh, green extra, but any lettuce would do, or nothing at all, as long as you don’t mix it into the salad, to prevent them from getting saggy.
Other Beetroot Recipes
- Beetroot and Quinoa Burgers
- Beetroot and Goat Cheese Mini Quiches
- Beet Pasta with Pistachio and Feta
Chickpea and Beetroot Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 400 g chickpeas (pre-cooked)
- 1 beetroot (1 large or two small)
- 100 g feta cheese (diced)
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 5 scallions (fine chopped)
- 2 tbsp grilled almond
- 1 garlic clove (mashed)
- 1 handful flat leaf parsley
- salt and pepper
Dressing
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cut all the vegetables and mix.
- Add the dressing, mix.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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1 Comment
This salad was so colorful and vibrant! I’ve been looking for more ways to eat chickpeas and already had tons of cherry tomatoes, the beets are just a big bonus