Description
A fresh, healthy, and vibrant salad combining earthy beets, protein-rich chickpeas, tangy feta, and a zesty lemon garlic dressing. Perfect for a light lunch or easy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium cooked beets, peeled and diced
- 1 can (15 oz / 425g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup (110g) crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
- Optional: handful of baby spinach
Instructions
- If using fresh beets, wrap whole beets in foil and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 45-60 minutes until tender. Let cool, then peel and dice into bite-sized pieces. If using pre-cooked beets, dice and proceed.
- Rinse and drain chickpeas under cold water until they smell fresh. Shake off excess water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, minced garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until slightly thickened and well combined. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine diced beets, rinsed chickpeas, crumbled feta, and chopped parsley. Add optional nuts or spinach if desired.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Avoid overmixing to prevent beet color bleeding.
- Optional: Let the salad rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
[‘Rinse chickpeas well to remove canned flavor.’, ‘Use fresh lemon juice for best flavor.’, ‘Be gentle when tossing to avoid beet color bleeding.’, ‘Let salad rest 10-15 minutes for flavors to meld.’, ‘Crumble feta just before assembling for freshness.’, ‘Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge up to 3 days; add extra dressing if dry.’, ‘Do not freeze salad; cooked beets can be frozen separately.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-60 minutes (if roasting fresh beets)
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 8
Keywords: chickpea salad, beet salad, feta salad, lemon garlic dressing, healthy salad, vegetarian, gluten-free, easy lunch, Mediterranean salad