Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Rocket Pesto

This healthy, easy Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Rocket Pesto is fantastic for lunch, dinner, as a side dish or for barbecues, picnics, and lunchboxes. It’s vegan, gluten free, and ready in just 15 minutes!

About This Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Rocket Pesto

The rocket pesto really makes this simple chickpea cucumber salad stand out. It’s great all year round, but tastes the best in the summer when cucumbers, rocket and tomatoes are in their best season.

I have been obsessed with salads this summer and chickpea is my favourite salad ingredient. It adds a good amount of protein, but also a great texture. You should try my Easy Greek Salad or Blueberry, Quinoa and Avocado Salad.

CAN I EAT CHICKPEAS FROM THE CAN?

Yes! Unless you have extra time to soak your dried chickpeas and then cook for a few hours, tinned or canned chickpea is your best choice. I always go for chickpeas in water, unsalted water. 

ARE CHICKPEAS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Absolutely! It's loaded with fibre, protein, nutrients and more. It will keep you full for longer and makes an excellent substitute for meat in vegan and vegetarian diets.

Ingredients for Chickpea Cucumber Salad

• Chickpeas - If you’re not a fan of chickpeas, you can use white beans such as cannellini or butter beans instead
• Cucumber - Just normal basic English cucumber will do. Thinly sliced.
• Red Onion -  Red onion adds beautiful pink colour contrast and it is not as strong as traditional white onion
• Spinach - Spinach is a salad classic and an excellent choice. For a peppery twist, try using a mix of half rocket, half spinach.
• Tomatoes - Cherry tomatoes are so sweet and add a wonderful flavour. You can use any tomatoes you like.
• Lemon - This is to help to bring the zesty flavour of the red onion and marinate all the flavours together

Let's Talk Rocket Pesto

• Rocket - Peppery, delicious, packed with nutrients, and it’s low in calories, carbs, fat, and sugar.
• Walnuts - If you don't have walnuts use cashews, pecans or pine nuts
• Garlic - A must for any pesto recipe
• Basil - Fresh basil only
• Lemon - Adds zesty kick. You could also use lime
• Salt and Pepper - To season this pesto to a perfection

How To Make Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Rocket Pesto

I added tomatoes and spinach to this salad because that was what was in my fridge. I also tossed the red onion with lemon to add a beautiful pink colour and loads of flavour. Just follow these simple steps to create this lush salad:

STEP 1: Mix the finely sliced red onion with juice from half a lemon and a pinch of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.

STEP 2: Make the pesto by adding all the ingredients for pesto in a blender or a food processor

STEP 3: Blitz until you get a chunky texture. Taste and season with salt and pepper to perfection. You might need to add more water if the paste is too thick

STEP 4: Chop up all the vegetables

STEP 5: Toss the veggies with the marinated onion and the pesto. 

STEP 6: Adjust seasoning to taste and serve. You can add some more freshly chopped basil on top and some walnuts if you have any leftover

Any pesto leftovers can be kept in a jar in the fridge with a thin layer of oil and a lid. You can toss it with pasta, add it to stews,   salads or spread on a sandwich.

RECIPE VARIATIONS: 

• Add different veggies such as peppers, radishes or olives to give this salad a Greek Salad twist.
• If chickpeas doesn't tickle your fancy try white beans or black beans
• Not a fan of pesto? Try my tahini dressing instead
• Store any leftover dressed salad in the fridge for up to 1 day

More Delicious Salad Recipes:

• Healthy Potato Salad
• Roasted Broccoli and Quinoa Salad
• Cucumber Radish Salad
• Grilled Corn Quinoa Salad
• Healthy White Bean Salad
• Freekeh Salad
• Quinoa Lentil Salad

Continue to Content

Recipe

Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Rocket Pesto

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cucumber, finely sliced
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes (approx.220g)
• 3 big handfuls spinach, washed
• Salt and Pepper to tast

Rocket Pesto

• 1 pack rocket (60g)
• 1 pack basil (30g)
• ½ cup walnuts
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix the finely sliced red onion with juice from half a lemon and a pinch of salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Make the pesto by adding all the ingredients for pesto in a blender or a food processor.
3. Blitz until you get a chunky texture. Taste and season with salt and pepper to perfection. You might need to add more water if the paste is too thick.
4. Chop up all the vegetables
5. Toss the veggies with the marinated onion and the pesto.
6. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve. You can add some more freshly chopped basil on top and some walnuts if you have any leftover.
   
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 338Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 6gSugar: 19gProtein: 8g

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.