This recipe comes from Lisa Leake’s latest book, 100 Days of Real Food: On a Budget. In it, Lisa shares practical secrets for saving money in the kitchen, along with easy recipes that are $15 or less to help you cut out processed foods.
It’s a great option for people who might be new to healthy eating, particularly if they are looking for recipes using whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. I love how Lisa breaks down the price of each recipe so you can plan ahead. When I spotted this easy chickpea salad in the “Packed Lunches” chapter of the new book, I asked Lisa if I could share it here. I love how you can make it ahead of time, so you’ll have an easy lunch that’s ready to eat, straight from the fridge. It’s packed with fiber and protein from the chickpeas, to help keep you full throughout the afternoon.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad
Making this salad is just about as easy as it gets. Most of the effort is simply chopping a few veggies! I cook my chickpeas from scratch in the Instant Pot (because I love how easy it is), but you can grab of can of prepared chickpeas if that’s more convenient for you. Either way should give you the same results. I like to mix the simple red wine vinaigrette for this salad directly in the bottom of a large bowl, so I can add the chickpeas and veggies and toss them together without dirtying too many dishes. You can divide the salad right away into individual servings for a packed lunch, or simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
I thought I might want to add cheese to this salad (because I love a sprinkling of feta on most things), but I am pleasantly surprised by how satisfying and flavorful it is. No cheese necessary, if you ask me! I tend to use dried basil because that’s what I always have on hand, but you could use any fresh or dried herbs you love. I imagine fresh dill would be nice, too.
I packed my lunch using these cute glass storage containers (mine came as a set of 3).
Recipe Notes:
If you’d like to use less oil or another type of vinegar, I think that would be fine in this recipe. You can taste it as you go and adjust the seasoning. This entire recipe is pretty adaptable to use what you have on hand! For a properly combined lunch, you could choose sliced carrots and guacamole on the side to keep this a starch based meal.
As always, if you make any modifications to this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how it worked for you. We can all benefit from your experience! – Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite make-ahead lunch? Please feel free to share recipes or links in the comments below. This recipe is reprinted with permission from 100 Days of Real Food: On a Budget, by Lisa Leake. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I’m under no obligation to promote it. I just wanted to share Lisa’s work and this tasty recipe!
