My quick and healthy chickpea salad with fetta is my go-to side for summer, the fetta melts slightly over fresh salad leaves and crisp sweet capsicum, the bite of finely sliced red onions and creamy garlic and herb flavour of pan-fried chickpeas added when they are still warm over the cheese to create a flavourful dressing.
Here in Australia, summer is fast approaching, and it’s time to switch out the baking and slow cooking for quick and fresh summer recipes, and I while I do enjoy the change, I will not give up on flavour!
you can use canned chickpeas or dry, I usually use canned, but I have a supply of dry in case I don’t have any canned, you just need to plan ahead and soak them in water and tsp of bicarb for at least 12 hours before cooking, they are best though, to soak overnight.
Cook your chickpea’s
I like to pan-fry in coconut oil, about a tablespoon.
add a tsp of salt and reduce any residual liquid.
Two teaspoons of garlic powder or 1 heaped tsp of minced garlic.
Add a tsp of mixed herbs if you choose to, I usually do, sometimes I also cook the chickpeas in butter and it smells like garlic bread and tastes too good to have too often!
once the chickpeas are cooked and starting to brown you can remove them from the pan or continue cooking until you have reached your desired colour, I like mine soft on the inside with a bit of crunch and browning on the outside.
The salad
For the salad you can just whip up your usual, I like to use rocket, fresh capsicum, finely sliced red onion, shallot, tomato -sundried is my favourite, and always I add fetta, smooth and creamy style is my favourite! if I have them on hand I add avocado’s, olives, bacon bits, it all depends on whats is I’m y fridge on the day.
I don’t add tomato to my salad, it keeps very well in the fridge for days if you don’t, tomatoes have a tendency to go soggy before anything else, so I slice them and add them to the side.
To your salad add crumbled feta and chickpeas while still hot.
Toss thoroughly, the heat of the chickpeas will every so slightly melt the feta and it will coat the salad to create a tasty and healthy dressing.
serve it with my Indian spice inspired chicken recipe!
or my slow roast chicken in butter
quick & easy chickpea salad with feta
quick and healthy chickpea salad with feta
Full of flavour chickpeas with creamy fetta and fresh salad all tossed together to create a healthy and quick summer side!
Ingredients
- 100 grams of salad leaves or just several handfuls
- half a capsicum sliced thinly
- half a cucumber, halved lengthways and sliced thinly
- 1 red onion, halved and sliced thinly
- 1 avocado
- optional/ pitted kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, bacon bits, croutons, diced tomatoes
- 2x 400 gram canned chickpeas, or 400 grams of dried chickpeas, soaked over night in bowl fully covered with water and a tsp of bicarb soda.
- 1 tsp of salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a frying pan melt 1-2 tbsps of coconut oil on medium-high heat, I don't measure my oil, just do enough to thinly coat the chickpeas as they cook, you can add more during cook time if you wish to add your chickpeas, and salt and cook the liquid, mixing until evaporated.
- add your chickpeas, and salt and cook the liquid, mixing until evaporated.
- add your chickpeas, and salt and cook the liquid, mixing until evaporated.
- add your garlic powder, mixed herbs and pepper
- Cook until golden brown, stirring to prevent burning. This should take around 10-12 minutes once they are cooked add them to your prepared salad.
- once they are cooked add them to your prepared salad.
- BE sure to have either the chickpeas go over your crumbled feta or place the feta on the chickpeas, you need the heat to melt the feta.
- Let the fetta and chickpeas sit for a minute and then toss.
- serve!
Notes
This salad is great for storing in the fridge and pulling out for lunches during the week, this is why I don't add tomato, I find it goes soggy and creates a soggy salad after only a day. So I add tomatoes to the side, rather than in the salad itself.
For a super tasty version that's is a little higher in calories, you can cook your chickpeas in butter! 2 tablespoons of butter with the salt garlic and herbs and the smell will have your mouth watering, it smells just like garlic bread!
another quick recipe this week, one of the reasons why I love summer! as much as love being in the kitchen with its sweltering hot outside the last place you want to be is by a hot stove!
We eat every night outside, in the cool of the day and I love it!
the simple mamma!
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