Beet And Chickpea Salad

This Beet and Chickpea Salad is both easy-to-make and delicious. It’s the perfect side salad, or you can make it into the main meal. With very few ingredients and so satisfying, it becomes balanced enough to be the main meal in itself. It’s excellent served both warm and cold and can be made in different ways using different ingredients. This salad is perfect in the winter, spring, or summer season. The salad bursts with earthy flavors and is served with a quick and delicious feta salad dressing. It’s bright, healthy, and a flavorful powerhouse of a salad that will keep you full and satisfied. 

Ingredient List for the Beet And Chickpea Salad

You should be able to find all the ingredients for the Beet & Chickpea Salad at your local grocery store or specialty market. 

Chickpeas – We used canned chickpeas for this recipe as they are readily available and easy to use. Drain and rinse them to help cut down on the sodium content. Rinse well in cold water. Check them after rinsing and remove any loose skins. 

Beets– To say we are big fans of beets would be putting it mildly. We grow beets in our garden in the summer, but we buy fresh beets from the local fruit and vegetable market in the winter months. You can boil, roast, or pressure cook beets, but we think boiling beets is simple and quick. So for this recipe, we will use the boiling method. If your beets come with the tops attached, do not throw them away.  Head here to learn how to cook Simple Greek Beets and Greens. 

Walnuts– By adding walnuts to the salad, you will increase your intake of omega-three fatty acids, fiber which helps lower cholesterol, and vitamin E to help stop plaque development in your arteries. Enough of a science lesson for now; let’s move on!

Feta Cheese – Use a good quality cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk if you can find it. If not, the feta cheese made from cow’s milk is fine. 

Greens–  A combination of arugula and spinach made the base for our salad. We chopped the greens into bite-size pieces before adding them to the bowl. 

You can find a complete list of the ingredients in the recipe box below.

Variations

Feel free to substitute any of the ingredients for the following: 

• You can leave out the chickpeas and add in white beans instead.

• If you are not a fan of feta cheese, maybe some grilled halloumi will work for you. Or another choice would be to add goat cheese instead of feta cheese. 

• For a non-vegetarian option, top the salad with some grilled chicken or salmon.  

• If you prefer kale, use it as the base for the salad instead of the spinach and arugula. 

• Add in a pinch of pepper flakes for those who prefer a spicier kick!

• If walnuts are not your favorite, go ahead and add some sliced almonds or chopped pecans. Both would make a fantastic addition to the salad. 

As you can see from some of our suggestions, you can customize it to your liking.

Did we turn you into a beet lover with this salad recipe? If so, be sure to let us know! We’d love to hear from you! Tag us in your photos on Instagram. And stay connected to all things Heart Healthy Greek by following us on Facebook and Pinterest and by subscribing to our mailing list!