Zesty Chickpea Salad
A refreshing, high-fiber, and high-protein salad requiring no cooking at all.
This is a no-cook meal or snack for days when you already have boiled chickpeas. The lemon, chaat masala, onion, tomato, and cucumber make it bright enough to eat without a heavy dressing.
The salad is flexible. Keep the chickpeas as the anchor, then change the crunchy vegetables, herbs, and spice mix based on taste and availability.
Nutrition
Per 1 bowl (about half recipe)
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
Dietary
plant based · oil free
Protein sources
chickpeas
Ingredients
- 11.5 cups Boiled Chickpeas (Kala Chana or Kabuli)
- 21 Cucumber, diced
- 31 Tomato, diced
- 41/2 Red Onion, finely chopped
- 5Juice of 1 Lemon
- 61/2 tsp Chaat Masala
- 7Salt and Pepper to taste
- 8Fresh coriander
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the boiled chickpeas, diced cucumber, tomato, and onion.
Kala chana is chewier and more earthy; kabuli chana is softer and creamier. Canned chickpeas work if rinsed well.
- 2
Add lemon juice, chaat masala, salt, and pepper.
Add lemon gradually if your tomato is already sour. Chaat masala can be salty, so taste before adding extra salt.
- 3
Toss everything together until well mixed.
Let it sit for 5 minutes if possible so the chickpeas absorb the seasoning.
- 4
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Mint, coriander, spring onion greens, or roasted cumin powder all work here.
- 5
Serve chilled or at room temperature as a snack or light meal.
For a fuller meal, serve with roti, toast, millet crackers, or a bowl of soup.
Vegetable swaps
- Use capsicum, grated carrot, cabbage, raw mango, pomegranate, or boiled potato depending on season.
- Skip onion for a Jain-style version and add extra cucumber, coriander, ginger, or hing-based chaat masala.
- If tomatoes are watery, remove the seeds or use lemon and cucumber as the fresh element instead.
Make it more filling
- Add roasted peanuts, tofu cubes, sprouts, or boiled sweet potato.
- Mix in cooked millet, brown rice, or quinoa if you want a lunch bowl.
- Add tahini-lemon dressing or peanut curd if you need more calories.