A hearty, filling dish with a zingy, tangy flavour, this lentil chickpea salad with a lemon-mustard dressing requires no cooking at all and takes just 10 minutes to prepare. It’s crammed with healthy protein, thanks to the legume duo, and contains loads of other nutrient-bursting ingredients to boost your health.
Not all carbs are bad and legumes are the perfect example of a good-for-you carb. Chickpeas are a type of complex carbohydrate which help regulate your blood sugar and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
They’re also incredibly high in fibre which supports a healthy gut by quickly moving food through the digestive system and ensuring you’ve got the right balance of healthy bacteria.
Lentils do just as good a job of keeping you fighting fit and healthy. As well as all the above, they also aid your immune system, resulting in a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
And they’re a great source of plant-based iron which gives you more energy and strength. For iron to be well absorbed, it needs to be consumed with plenty of vitamin c – which you’ll find in the lemon, tomatoes and onion in this lentil chickpea salad.
Is this lentil chickpea salad vegan?
Yes, this lentil chickpea salad is vegan! Every part of this chickpea salad recipe, from the main ingredients down to the zesty dressing are 100% free from any animal products. And you know what? You won’t even know the difference.
Lentils and chickpeas are absolutely bursting with protein. One serving of chickpeas in this salad provides 3.5g of protein, while one serving of lentils works out at 4.11g of protein.
Combine the two and you’ve got a healthy burst of protein to support your muscles and leave you feeling great. All without a sniff of meat, eggs or dairy.
Bursting with flavor
Think you don’t like chickpeas or lentils? Then you might think this chickpea and lentil salad is the thing of nightmares. But let me tell you, it’s a total game-changer for legume haters. Many people think legumes are really bland and lacking flavor. This lentil chickpea salad proves otherwise!
The main salad is bursting with flavor, thanks to juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet raw onion, aromatic garlic and bright coriander. The lemon-mustard dressing adds a whole new layer of flavor, with zingy lemon juice, intense cumin and hot Dijon mustard. The flavors go so well together you’ll want to dig into this chickpea salad recipe everyday for lunch.
How to enhance this chickpea salad
Although this healthy lentil and chickpea salad is amazing just as it is, you might want to add a few extras from time to time to make it even more interesting. I get it. No one likes eating the same lunch every day, right?
Here are a few things you can add to your salad to make it beyond amazing:
- Feta cheese
- Grilled halloumi
- Grilled tofu
- Pan-fried chicken
- Beets
- Quinoa
Another way to enhance this chickpea salad recipe? Smash all the ingredients together and turn it into a sandwich filling! Spread tahini or homemade garlic mayonnaise on the bread and I bet that would be amazing.
How long does this lentil chickpea salad keep?
This chickpea and lentil salad is the perfect healthy lunch. You can prepare a great big batch of the stuff on Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week. As long as you store it inside an air-tight container, this chickpea lentil salad will easily keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. That’s all your school or work lunches sorted if you triple the recipe.
To maintain the freshness of the salad, I recommend keeping the salad and the dressing separate. When you’re ready to eat, drizzle the dressing over the salad and you’re good to go.
More healthy chickpea recipes you’ll love
Can’t get enough of chickpeas? Here are some more recipes you’ll want to dive face-first into.
- Ham, Smashed Chickpea and Poached Egg Breakfast Toasts, the perfect weekend brunch.
- Overflowing Chickpea Sloppy Joes, a healthy vegan alternative to the original ones.
- BBQ Cheddar Chickpea Burgers, one of my all-time favorite burger recipes!
- 30-Minute Moroccan Vegan Burgers, another amazing veggie burger.
📖 Recipe
Lentil Chickpea Salad with a Lemon-Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- ½ cup chickpeas cooked and drained
- ½ cup lentils cooked and drained
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place in a large salad bowl.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic and coriander and add them to the salad bowl with the chickpeas, lentils and lemon zest. Use salad spoons to toss everything together.
- To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, mustard and salt in a small container with a lid. Pop the lid on the container and thoroughly shake to ensure all the dressing ingredients are properly combined.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve.
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