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Chickpea Salad with Pesto
3.4 from 122 votes

Chickpea Salad with Pesto

This Chickpea Salad with Pesto combines tender chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and small mozzarella pearls tossed in a vibrant homemade basil pesto. The salad offers a pleasing mix of textures from creamy mozzarella, crisp cucumbers, and crunchy radishes, with bright flavors from lemon juice and fresh basil. Toasted pine nuts add a rich, nutty crunch, making it a balanced and colorful dish suitable for light lunches or side salads.

Prep Time
20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 25472 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 2 15- ounce chickpeas drained and well rinsed, canned
  • 1 cup bell pepper assorted colors, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup Persian cucumber these are the small ones, do not peel, thin sliced
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese small pearls
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes assorted colors, halved or quartered
  • 1/3 cup radish quartered, small
  • 1/3 cup black olives diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely minced
  • black pepper fresh cracked
pesto dressing (this will make more than you need, use the rest on pasta!)
  • 2 basil I used my whole TJs basil plant, large handfuls, fresh leaves and part of the stems
  • 1 garlic smashed and peel removed, small clove
  • lemon juice of half
  • Parmesan Cheese as much or as little as you like, a good grating, fresh
  • 1/4 cup olive oil give or take
  • salt to taste
garnish
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toast in a little olive oil in a skillet for several minutes, stirring constantly until they turn nutty brown, toasted
  • lemon wedges

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put the drained, rinsed, and dried chickpeas in a large salad bowl along with the rest of the salad ingredients.
  2. To make the pesto dressing, process the basil, garlic, and lemon briefly until it breaks down into a thick paste. Add the cheese and enough olive oil to make a loose pourable consistency. Add salt to taste, and more cheese, and/or lemon if you like.
  3. Toss the salad with just enough pesto to thoroughly coat everything. Serve topped with the toasted pine nuts, a good grinding of fresh cracked pepper, and accompanied by a couple of lemon wedges.

Nutrition Information

Calories 254.72kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 27.9g (9%) Protein 11.11g (22%) Fat 11.96g (18%) Saturated Fat 2.26g (11%) Sodium 383.36mg (16%) Fiber 7.99g (32%) Sugar 6.02g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 25472

% Daily Value*

Calories 254.72kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 27.9g 9%
Protein 11.11g 22%
Fat 11.96g 18%
Saturated Fat 2.26g 11%
Sodium 383.36mg 16%
Fiber 7.99g 32%
Sugar 6.02g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.