Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large English cucumber, quartered and sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 0.5 small red onion, finely diced
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  • 0.5 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp sea salt
  • 0.25 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

  1. Open your 2 cans of chickpeas and tip them into a colander. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water until the bubbles disappear. Let them drain for at least 5 minutes so they are dry before you add the dressing.
  2. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the 0.25 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp dried oregano, 0.5 tsp sea salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Whisk until the liquid looks creamy and opaque. This means the oil and acid have bonded, ensuring the dressing won't just slide off the vegetables.
  3. Pour the dressing over the drained chickpeas in your main mixing bowl. Let them sit while you chop the remaining vegetables.
  4. Quarter and slice the English cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the red bell pepper into 1cm pieces. Finely dice the half red onion. Aim for uniformity so the salad is easy to eat with a spoon or fork.
  5. Slice the Kalamata olives into rounds or halves. Check for any stray pits, even if they are labeled as pitted.
  6. Roughly chop the fresh parsley. You want small pieces, but not a fine dust. The leaves should still look like leaves to provide visual texture.
  7. Add all the chopped vegetables, olives, and parsley to the bowl with the chickpeas. Toss gently with a large spoon until every piece glistens with dressing.
  8. Crumble the feta cheese over the top. Stir it in very gently.
  9. Taste a spoonful. If it feels flat, add a tiny squeeze more lemon. If it feels too sharp, a tiny drizzle of olive oil will mellow it out.
  10. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes at room temperature if you have the time. This allows the juices from the tomatoes and cucumbers to mingle with the vinaigrette.