Chickpea salad with feta

Chickpea salad with feta: a fresh salad with chickpeas, sheep's cheese, cucumber, pepper, olives, parsley and a lemon and olive oil dressing.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• No cooking needed
• Total time: 10 min
• Calories: 380 kcal per serving
• Protein: 18 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Carbs: 32 g

Ingredients

• 1 tin of soft chickpeas (400g)
• ½ cucumber
• 1 red onion
• Juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 100 g sheep's cheese
• 1 handful of Kalamata olives
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red pepper
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Small bunch of fresh parsley

Method

You’ll need: chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve

1. Wash, deseed and finely dice the pepper. Dice the cucumber too and finely chop the red onion.
2. Tip the chickpeas into a sieve, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain well.
3. Put the pepper, cucumber, red onion, chickpeas and Kalamata olives in a large bowl.
4. For the dressing, stir the lemon juice with the olive oil, black pepper and a little salt, or shake everything in a jar.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad, crumble over the sheep's cheese and add the finely chopped parsley. Toss everything gently.
6. Leave to stand briefly, then serve. After a little time in the fridge, the salad often tastes even better.

Good to know

A salad like this often saves my lunch when I want something fresh and substantial that's still light. It's quick to make and tastes pleasantly simple and full of flavour.

Swaps

Sheep's cheese → cottage cheese or skyr (more protein, less fat) Tinned chickpeas → home-cooked chickpeas (fewer additives, better texture) Red onion → spring onions (milder) 3 tbsp olive oil → 1–2 tbsp olive oil + more lemon juice (less oil)

Allergens

Contains milk (sheep's cheese). Onion and chickpeas can cause wind in people with a sensitive gut. Usually fine for children in small pieces; in pregnancy, no concerns with sheep's cheese made from pasteurised milk and well-washed veg.

Frequently asked questions

What's in chickpeas nutritionally?

Chickpeas provide plant protein, complex carbohydrates and fibre, plus folate, iron, magnesium and potassium, among other things.

How much calcium does feta or sheep's cheese provide?

Sheep's cheese provides plenty of calcium as well as protein. Depending on the type, it can also be quite salty, so it's worth a quick look at the packet.

Why do lemon and pepper work so well in the salad nutritionally?

Both bring vitamin C, the pepper often more of it. Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so a raw salad is basically a good way to eat it.

Are olives and olive oil just fat?

They mainly provide monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid. Olives also contain polyphenols, although the amount varies a lot with variety and processing.

Why do some people not get on well with chickpeas and onions?

Both contain fermentable carbohydrates that can cause wind or a feeling of pressure in the stomach in sensitive people. Rinsing the chickpeas thoroughly often helps a little, but how well you tolerate them is individual.