beat the heat – with this no-cook chickpea salad

I don’t know about you, but when summer rolls around, I prefer spending more time outside, and less time in the kitchen. And when I’m in the kitchen, I gravitate towards fast preparations that don’t require adding any extra heat to my kitchen. This chickpea salad is a perfect, no-cook preparation that is not only light and refreshing, but a complete meal, with a balance of protein + fiber + healthy fat.

Tabbouleh salad is typically made with bulgar wheat, parsley, cucumber, tomato, and mint. In this version, we keep all the staple flavors but swap out the bulgar wheat for protein rich chickpeas. By pulsing the beans in a food processor, the texture will more closely resemble that of a grain. Make the salad ahead of time for easy entertaining or a grab + go lunch. It’s an especially nice ‘flexitarian’ touch to a summer meal that accommodates vegetarians, while still being enjoyed by all. With the height of tomato and cucumber season approaching, it’s a great recipe to celebrate seasonality.

I’ve made this salad several times, and the key is draining and rinsing the beans really well, making sure they are pretty dry, and removing any loose skins from the beans before putting in the food processor. After rinsing, I arrange the beans in an even layer on a clean kitchen towel and let them dry for 20-30 minutes. It adds a little time onto the preparation, but its worth it to avoid a soupy, wet mess.