Are you Vegetarian or Vegan? Struggling to get your daily protein intake. Try this spicy and delicious Chick pea Salad.

Chickpea salad is easy to make and can be made in short time. I love to have chickpea salad in lunch as Chickpeas are full of protein and leave you feeling satisfied for hours.

Chickpea Salad is loaded with crisp onions, cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, steamed broccoli and touch of Indian spices.  Few drops of fresh lemon add the touch of Indian flavors of classic chaat.

Chickpea Salad or Garbanzo Bean Salad?

Chickpeas are the same thing as Garbanzo beans and can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Both are just a different variant for same type.

Chickpeas and Garbanzo beans are used interchangeably. I have used Indian chickpeas/Kala Chana for this recipe. They can be found on online grocery sites by name of Black Chickpeas or Kala Chana or Whole Bengal Gram.  Kala Chana/Black Chickpeas are little smaller than that of Garbanzo beans and are little brown in color.

Soaking and Cooking of Chickpea or Garbanzo Bean

As I prefer eating home made food, I minimize my use of ready to use Canned foods available in stores. So I cook my Indian Chickpea by following the traditional Indian method of soaking and cooking it. Chickpea need to be wash with water and soak in water for 8-9 hours. I make this for two batches for a month.

Soaking allow beans to release indigestible sugars that are cause of gassy feeling and flatulence. Soaking also makes the beans more digestible. Finally, soaking beans helps them to cook up in about half the time.

Usually I soak them overnight. So next day I can pressure cook them. And they are ready to be used for Salad or preparing with curry.

Are Chickpeas good for you?

For people who are vegetarian or vegan and looking for natural protein rich food, then Chickpeas are the best food.

Chickpeas Salad is perfect way to add plant-based protein to meal.  Chickpeas are a very healthy food as

• Chickpeas add good amount of protein and fiber to salad.
• They are rich in Vitamin B, B Complex, iron, zinc and phosphorus.
• There are some studies that shows Chickpeas help with weight loss.
• Chickpeas help in controlling blood sugar. (Study shows that the starch in chickpeas is digested slowly resulting in stabilized sugar levels).

Chickpeas Salad Recipe

Preparation Time- 10 mins Total Time- 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil or Oil of your choice.
• ½ Tsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt (as per your taste)
• Pinch of Asafoetida (optional)
• Pinch of Turmeric (optional)
• 1 Tsp Ginger/Garlic paste (optional)
• ½ Tsp Garam Masala (optional)
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice or half fresh lemon
• 1 cup chopped Tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 10-15 0z Chickpeas ( Canned) or Soaked Black Chickpeas

Instructions

1. This step is optional. Heat the Pan. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and then add pinch of Asafoetida. Add Ginger-Garlic paste. Then add boiled and cooked Chickpeas.
2. Stir the chickpeas for 1-2 minutes. Then add salt to taste, ½ tea spoon garam masala, 1 table spoon Coriander powder, pinch of turmeric. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then empty all chickpeas in a serving bowl.
3. Combine the chickpeas with chopped veggies – onion, steamed broccoli, tomatoes, cucumber.  Add fresh lemon juice.
4. Chickpeas Salad is ready.

Do read on Health benefits of using Turmeric, Asafoetida, Coriander powder in my post on “Natural Remedies for PCOS and Hypothyroidism” .

Are you Vegetarian? If so what is your source of protein.. Please feel free to comment below and let me know your protein source. I would love to add more protein in my food.

Stay Healthy and Happy….

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