Crunchy chickpea salad is great to make ahead and store in the fridge so you can have nutrition at your fingertips during a busy week.
Full of goodness from the chickpeas and crunch from the cucumber! It’s the sort of recipe where you can add a few other things and mix and match! I’ve added tinned sweet corn, avocado and coriander in the past (swapping out the parsley) to give it more of a salsa feel. You could even add some fruit!
Give this crunchy chickpea salad a go: dive on in and enjoy!
Chickpea Health Benefits
Chickpeas have a nutty taste and are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. They offer a variety of health benefits and as they are high in protein make an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Chickpeas contain a modest number of calories yet are worth it for their health benefits so give this crunchy chickpea salad a go!
The protein and fibre in chickpeas may help keep appetites under control so ideal for those looking to shed a few pounds. Protein and fibre work together to slow digestion which helps promote the feeling of being full for longer. In addition, protein may increase the levels of appetite-reducing hormones in the body. Some studies have found that eating chickpeas during the day actually reduces the number of calories consumed during the rest of the day.
Chickpeas have a reasonably low glycemic index (GI) which is a reflection of how rapidly blood sugar rises after eating food. Diets including low GI foods have been shown to promote good blood sugar management. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is important to prevent type 2 diabetes.
And More Chickpea Health Benefits!
As chickpeas contain mostly soluble fibre it means it mixes easily with water to form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. This may help to increase the number of healthy bacteria in the gut and therefore reduce the risk of some digestive conditions including irritable bowel syndrome and colon cancer. The soluble fibre in chickpeas has also been shown to reduce triglyceride and ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. Elevated levels of these may increase heart disease.
Crunchy chickpea is a good source of magnesium and potassium which have been found to support good heart health. This is because they prevent high blood pressure which is a major risk in heart disease.
Chickpeas contain butyrate which is a fatty acid which has been studied for its potential to reduce inflammation in the body and in particular in colon cells. This may help to reduce the incidence of colon cancer. They are also a source of saponins which are plant compounds that may also help prevent the development of certain cancers as they have been found to inhibit tumour growth.
So as you can see there are lots of chickpea health benefits!!!
They are also cheap and easy to add to your diet whether in salads, stews, soups, make into hummus or something else. Go grab a tin and give them a go!
Crunchy Chickpea Salad
Great nutrition in a flash and great to make ahead and have in the fridge for a busy week ahead
- Bowl
- 1 tin Chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 Red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 Cucumber, chopped
- 10 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 50 g Feta cheese, crumbled
- Handful of parsley, chopped
- 1 Red chilli, chopped
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper for the dressing
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Prepare the salad vegetables and add to the drained chickpeas in a bowl
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Combine the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and salt & pepper in a jam jar. Shake
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Pour the dressing over the other ingredients, mix and serve! It can keep covered in the fridge for a few days