Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad is a stalwart salad. Gluten-free and vegan, super easy, super quick and packed full of protein and flavour. It also keeps well and travels well – perfect for packed lunches and picnics.
I love Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad as part of a meze plate with potato salad, Houmous – Garlic Free, olives and flat bread or an accompaniment to a delicious green salad.
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are a good source of protein, zinc and folate. Tinned chickpeas are great but you can also use dried ones. Whichever you prefer! Walnuts are also a good source of protein and manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
Allergy Information – Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad
Middle Eastern Chickpea And Walnut Salad is gluten-free and vegan as well as… celery free, coconut free, garlic free, lupin free, mustard free, nightshade free, onion free, peanut free, sesame free, soya free.
Top Tips – Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad
Don’t use a food processor to chop this salad. It will make it too fine and possibly sludgy – and ruin the texture. Hand chopping with a large knife makes this salad what it is. Pretty amazing!
Chickpeas and nuts are two of my core store cupboard essentials. I eat chickpeas, beans or lentils several times a week. They are versatile and delicious ingredients. I would be lost without them! Find out what else is on my regular shopping list with my FREE Store Cupboard Essentials Cheat Sheet. Get it now! Just click the button below, sign-up and download.
Recipe – Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad
Difficulty easy
Serves 4-6
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 0 minutes
Ingredients – Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad
100 grams walnuts
1 can chick peas
25 grams fresh parsley
2-3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Method – Middle Eastern Chickpea and Walnut Salad
1. Gently toast the walnuts in a clean, dry pan
2. Drain and rinse the chick peas and place on the chopping board with the toasted walnuts
3. Using a large, sharp knife chop the chick peas, walnuts and parsley together on the board. Make sure you rough chop them together very thoroughly on the board. (Do not use a food processor or blender as this would make the salad too smooth)
4. Place the mixture in to a serving bowl, stir in the olive oil, zest and juice of the lemon, season and serve.
Alice says
This looks great, I need to eat more nuts and beans so a perfect recipe for me!
FriFran says
Thanks Alice!!! I hope you LOVE it. It’s fabulous picnic food (for when the rain stops!).
Maisie says
Hello! I made this yesterday, slightly altered recipe by adding fresh chopped spinach, but other than that all the same, and the chickpeas have turned a rather unappealing purple colour, I have no idea why but I thought you might be able to enlighten me? I’m thinking it’s all the lemon juice? Everything smells and tastes fine… It only made 2 servings, though, which made me think this was only supposed to be a side salad.? Anyway thank you for an interesting mix, if you know how i can prevent the chickpeas changing colour then I’ll be glad to make this again 🙂
FriFran says
Hi Masie! I’m happy to like it!
Soooo, not sure why your chickpeas have gone purple!!! It hasn’t happened to me (yet!) so I’m going to assume it’s the spinach and lemon juice having a bit of a reaction with the chickpeas. If it smells and tastes okay I don’t think it’s a problem.
I’d serve this salad with GF flatbread and a few other bits so I would go with one can of chickpeas (plus walnuts and parsley) serving four people but everyone’s serving sizes are different so go with what suits you best.