Simple Chickpea Salad ♥

Time for lunch? If you've got five minutes, a can of chickpeas, a lemon and a little cheese, well, lunch is on its way. Yes, it's "that" simple.

Real Food, Fast & Filling. Just Three Ingredients! Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Budget Friendly. Little Effort, Big Taste. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Vegetarian & Easily Made Vegan. Naturally Gluten Free.

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Lunch At Your Desk. Or the Kitchen Table.

"Where shall we go for lunch?" is the question-of-the-day in many offices. But since I've worked from home for more than ten years now, I know that just around the corner is today's (and yesterday's and tomorrow's) best lunch spot, aka, the fridge in the kitchen.

But some days there's just no appeal to last night's soup or the weekend's leftover roast chicken or even the ultra low-brow Satisfying Lunch in One Point. I want something fresh and bright and filling and definitely not-leftover.

This is my new go-to lunch, lots of protein though with more calories than I prefer. Am I right? Don't the calories in chickpeas always surprise? I'm not saying they shouldn't be eaten. They just taste more virtuous than the numbers add up.

Whether I return to my desk to browse food blogs or step outside to enjoy a bit of early-spring warmth on the patio, this salad has become a mainstay.

What Makes Simple Chickpea Salad Lunch Special?

Make it ahead of time, make it at the last second, either way works.
Mix it right in your own bowl, no need for a special mixing bowl.
Just a handful of ingredients, ones easy to keep on hand all the time.
Healthy but filling, that's thanks to chickpeas protein.

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SIMPLE CHICKPEA SALAD (CHICKA-CHICKA CHICKPEA SALAD)

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 5 minutes
Makes 1-2/3 cups, enough for 2 lunch-size servings or about 3 half-cup servings, easy to scale up as needed

Just Three Ingredients + Pantry Staples

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained or just drained
Zest and juice (about 1 tablespoon) of half a lemon
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup (10g) shredded parmesan or grated sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese

Mix, right in your eating bowl if you're so inclined. That's all there is to it! Eat up! Enjoy!

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Use the same microplane for both the zest and the cheese, this means they're not so small they don't just "melt" into that salad.
Some times I'll add a chopped pepper or cucumber. At night, I've turned in some leftover roast chicken.
Note to Vegetarians

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per Serving (assumes 2): 273 Calories; 7g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 4mg Cholesterol; 404mg Sodium; 38g Carb; 10g Fiber; 7g Sugar; 14g Protein.
Per Half Cup (to remain apples-to-apples with other A Veggie Venture salads): 164 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 2mg Cholesterol; 242mg Sodium; 23g Carb; 6g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 8g Protein.
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Per Serving (assumes 2) Old Points 4 & PointsPlus 6 & SmartPoints 8 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 8 & blue 2 & purple 2 & future WW points
Per Half Cup (to remain apples-to-apples with other salads here) Old Points 4 & PointsPlus 6 & SmartPoints 8 & Freestyle 2 & myWW green 8 & blue 2 & purple 2 & future WW points
CALORIE COUNTERS
100-calorie serving = assume 1/3-cup servings (6g protein).

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from Orangette, one of our original circle of food bloggers way back in 2005.

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