Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

The picture doesn't do it justice...this salad is DELISH!!!

I hate wasting food and I enjoy a good challenge. So, I find it particularly satisfying to come up with recipes using whatever I happen to have in the fridge and/or pantry. This salad came about over the weekend when I needed a quick side for our grilled mahi-mahi and zucchini. I was going to make couscous, but the hubs wanted something a little more exciting.

I had chickpeas in the cupboard and a few veggies that really needed to be used ASAP. So I got creative and came up with this healthy, filling, low-carb salad. It’s perfect for Meatless Monday or any time you need a fast and easy side dish.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), washed and drained
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
½ cup red onion, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and quartered
1 avocado, seeded and cubed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled (I used my favorite Athenos Garlic & Herb)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes if you prefer the salad chilled.

Results:
Boy am I glad I didn’t make couscous. This salad was so good! It had several bold flavors that really complimented each other nicely. The onion and cucumber gave it a satisfying crunch. And it was really simple to put together, which makes it a perfect 10 in my book.

As I mentioned in the directions, you can eat this salad immediately or refrigerate it and serve it chilled. We had leftovers so we ate them cold the next day for lunch and I actually preferred the chilled version that had a little time to marinate.

Please, please, please, don’t be deterred by the horrible photo above. Seriously, it doesn’t do this dish justice. My camera phone is completely full and I haven’t figured out how to clear it yet, so I’m using my hubby’s iPhone that I barely know how to turn on, much less use to take good pictures. Hopefully I’ll figure it out soon and my next blog post will have a more palatable image to accompany it.

Until next time,
Ryann