Fresh Cucumber Chickpea Salad (Printable)

Vibrant salad with cucumber, chickpeas, and lemon-mint dressing, perfect for a healthy light lunch or side.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium cucumbers, diced
02 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
05 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Legumes

06 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Dressing

07 - Juice of 1 large lemon (approximately 3 tablespoons)
08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine diced cucumbers, chopped red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, drained chickpeas, chopped mint, and parsley.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt or lemon juice.
05 - Refrigerate the salad for 10 minutes to enhance flavors or serve immediately if preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to listen to three songs, no heat required.
  • The lemon and mint wake up your taste buds without any heaviness or guilt.
  • It tastes even better after sitting for an hour, which means you can prep it ahead and forget about it.
  • Every ingredient pulls its weight, nothing here is just filler.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the chickpeas, that canning liquid has a weird metallic flavor that clings to everything.
  • If you dress this too far ahead, the cucumbers weep and the salad gets watery, thirty minutes is the sweet spot.
  • Garlic gets sharper as it sits, if you're making this in advance, use half a clove or skip it entirely and add it fresh before serving.
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler to stripe the cucumber skin off in ribbons, it looks prettier and reduces any bitterness from the peel.
  • Let the red onion sit in ice water for five minutes before adding it, it takes the edge off without losing the flavor.
  • If your lemon isn't very juicy, add a tiny splash of white wine vinegar to boost the acidity without making it taste like vinegar.
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