This Chickpea Salad with Cilantro and a honey lime dressing is a super simple salad to meal prep next time you are craving a healthy summer lunch or side dish with your main course!
As a dietitian, I am always the one expected to bring fresh vegetables to summer gatherings and cookouts. This delicious salad is one of my favorites because it's made with simple ingredients and has so many fresh flavors with a simple zesty dressing! I also enjoy having it as a light lunch all year round. I hope you love it too! 😊
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with feta cheese or my Corn Salad with Black Beans. If you're looking for an option with roasted chickpeas, try my Nourish Bowl with Mediterranean Roasted Chickpeas!
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This easy chickpea salad with cilantro is made with fresh ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the printable recipe card for ingredient measurements.
Salad Ingredients
- Chickpeas - also known as garbanzo beans. I use a can of chickpeas for this recipe. If you prefer to cook your own chickpeas instead of using canned, cook and dry them before roasting.
- Fresh Cilantro - fresh herbs like chopped cilantro add tons of flavor and antioxidants. If you want to add more herbs, fresh parsley or dill are great options!
- Cucumber - crunchy cucumbers like English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers (also known as mini cucumbers) work best for this recipe. Both have fewer and smaller seeds and thinner skin than regular cucumbers.
- Tomatoes - I suggest to use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Juicy tomatoes add a pop of flavor and also contain vitamin C, potassium, and a powerful antioxidant called lycopene that helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
- Bell Pepper - I use an orange or red bell pepper for this recipe, but a green or yellow bell pepper work great too.
- Red Onion - raw onion adds a bit of sweetness and crunch. If you prefer, use a shallot or green onions for a milder onion flavor.
Dressing Ingredients
- Lime Juice - fresh lime juice adds a ton of flavor and brightens this dish up. It also contains ascorbic acid, a natural preservative. You can use lemon juice instead if you prefer.
- Honey - honey adds a hint of sweetness and some antioxidants.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - I like to add apple cider vinegar to enhance the flavors and add more tang to balance out the sweetness of the honey.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil to coat the veggies and add heart-healthy fats that also support hormone health and brain health.
- Garlic Powder - I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic here because it's a bit more concentrated and a little goes a long way. If you want, you can use 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic instead.
- Salt & Black Pepper - the perfect way to tie all the flavors together.
How to Make Chickpea Salad with Cilantro
Below are the instructions for how to make this delicious chickpea salad recipe with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Check the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Dice the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro and add everything to a large bowl.
- Step 2: Top the salad with the dressing ingredients including lime juice, honey, vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss until everything is coated.
Hint: if you want, mash the chickpeas a bit before adding the other ingredients!
Dietitian Tip
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are the main ingredient in this healthy recipe. They provide dietary fiber for gut health and 12g of plant-based protein per cup! And legumes like chickpeas are also high in vitamins B6 and B12 which have been shown to support brain health. Make it easy to incorporate legumes into your eating pattern by meal prepping recipes that you actually enjoy.
Variations
The best part about this Chickpea Cucumber Salad is you can customize to your taste! Below are some ideas, but feel free to get creative.
- Spicy - if you're a fan of spicy flavors, add jalapeño peppers, cayenne, and a little bit of crushed red pepper on top.
- More Protein - the chickpeas add plant-protein. But feel free to add chicken, steak, tofu, shrimp, or salmon for more protein.
- Deluxe - add fresh avocado, baby spinach, or kalamata olives to make this healthy dish even more flavorful.
- Vegan - replace the honey with maple syrup or agave syrup to make this recipe vegan.
Storage for Chickpea Cilantro Salad
- Refrigerator - store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
- To save time, use canned chickpeas. Rinse your can of chickpeas to improve the flavor and texture of the final dish.
- Chop your fresh veggies into similar sized pieces.
- If possible, use freshly squeezed lime juice instead of lime juice from the bottle.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. It contains plant protein from the chickpeas, dietary fiber to support gut health from the legumes and vegetables, and heart-healthy fats that also support brain health and hormone health from the olive oil. This healthy lunch also contains antioxidants and vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, and magnesium. It is also vegetarian and gluten-free.
Garbanzo beans and chickpeas are different names for the same legume. They can be used interchangeably so look for either name when doing your grocery shopping to make chickpea salad recipes like this one.
Some people are genetically sensitive to the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro. If that's you or someone you're serving this recipe to, replace cilantro with parsley or skip it and add an extra dash of lime juice!
Related
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Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Chickpea Salad with Cilantro:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Salad with Cilantro and Simple Lime Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (garbanzo beans)
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes, juice of
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Dice the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro and add everything to a large bowl.
- Top the salad ingredients with the dressing ingredients including lime juice, honey, vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss until everything is coated.
Notes
- To save time, use canned chickpeas. Rinse your can of chickpeas to improve the flavor and texture of the final dish.
- Chop your fresh veggies into similar sized pieces.
- If possible, use freshly squeezed lime juice instead of lime juice from the bottle.
- Refrigerator - store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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