Chickpea Salad

Chickpea salad is a fresh, nutritious and very versatile dish, perfect for a light lunch or as a side dish. Here is the basic recipe, which can then be enriched or modified according to your personal tastes.

Ingredients

• 400 g of chickpeas (already cooked or canned)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 ripe tomato
• 1 cucumber
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

• Pitted black or green olives
• Tuna in oil, drained
• Feta or other cheese to taste

Preparation

1. If using dried chickpeas, remember to soak them the night before and then cook them in plenty of water until tender. If you opt for canned chickpeas, rinse them well under running water to remove the preservation liquid.

2. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl with cold water and a pinch of salt to make it sweeter and less pungent. After about 10 minutes, drain and pat dry.

3. Wash and cut the tomato and cucumber into pieces that are not too small to give texture to your salad.

4. Drain and dry the chickpeas, if canned, and place them in a large bowl.

5. Add the tomato, cucumber, drained onion, chopped parsley to taste, salt and pepper.

6. Season with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, then mix well.

7. If you prefer, you can now add olives, drained tuna or cheese cut into cubes. Mix again gently.

8. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the flavors blend well.

This salad lends itself to multiple variations: you can add aromatic herbs like mint or basil, spices like cumin or replace the lemon with vinegar for a more pronounced flavor.

Trivia

Chickpeas are legumes highly appreciated in the Mediterranean not only for their flavor, but also for their nutritional properties, as they are rich in proteins and fibers. In Italy, particularly in Tuscany, they are famous in dishes like ribollita or farinata.