Every winter, after weeks of eating hearty soups and stews, I start craving something really light and fresh. I just get sick of all of the super cooked down hot food. I want bright, I want it to taste like SUNSHINE. You know what I’m sayin’?
So today I threw together this quick salad with a couple of cans of chickpeas that I had hiding in the back of my pantry. It’s really fast, easy, and bursting with fresh flavor!
Lime juice can sometimes have a slightly bitter bite to it, so if you’re not into that or limes just aren’t available in your area, this salad would be just as delicious with lemon juice. If you want to cut the price in half, cook your own chickpeas from dry. I haven’t done it but I’m sure it’s just as easy as cooking any other bean… especially if you cook them in the slow cooker!
Another interesting twist to this salad would be to add a touch of honey and chopped jalapeno. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of that until just now as I was typing this. Someone try it for me and let me know how it is! Thanks!
Cumin Lime Chickpeas
Cumin Lime Chickpeas
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 15oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) ($2.18)
- 1/2 red onion ($0.51)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.39)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.15)
- 1 lime ($0.25)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Empty both cans of chickpeas into a colander and rinse with cool water. Let the chickpeas drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems and then roughly chop. Dice the red onion. Place both in a large bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by squeezing the juice from one lime into a bowl and adding the olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Finely mince two cloves of garlic and add them as well. Stir everything to combine. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
- Add the drained chickpeas and the dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir to combine and then serve! The flavor intensifies the longer it sits so, refrigerate before serving for a stronger flavor.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
I had a couple lonely cans of chickpeas in my pantry, so what better to do with them than add my favorite flavors…
Cilantro, lime, garlic, and onion! This really is my favorite combo. Anytime I need something to taste fresh and vibrant, this is what I reach for.
Rinse the chickpeas in a colander with cool water to remove all of that canned flavor. I’m sure making fresh chickpeas from dry would not only be more inexpensive but the flavor would be even more clean and fresh. Note to self: make fresh chickpeas.
Remove the leaves from the stems of the cilantro and then give them a rough chop. The leaves pull off easily so this should take no more than a minute or two.
Dice the red onion and place it in a bowl with the cilantro.
Squeeze the juice from one lime into a bowl and add the olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Mince the garlic and add that as well.
Stir it all up and now you’ve got a delicious cumin dressing. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and any other ingredients as you see fit.
Add the drained chickpeas and dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir until everything is coated in dressing and then serve!
The salad will be even more intense the next day! …if it lasts that long!
Great bean salad, yummy to pick up with tortilla chips, but we like to mash it and add a few tbsp of mayo: amazing veggie chickpea salad sandwich!
One of my go to bean salad dishes when I need something light and bright. It is so easy to throw together and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks Beth!
So simple but so tasty! I think fresh lime juice is key!
Thank you! I tried this and added tiny trees of cauliflower in it and my goodness. I could eat this EVERY DAY. I used this salad for filling in my lettuce tacos. I topped with my salsa, I love spice. Outstanding. Thanks for sharing.
Good recipe and easy to make. Did not quite have the flavour kick I was hoping for so hope it builds as this marinades in the fridge.
I’m not super big on raw red onion, so I pickled it following Smitten Kitchen’s recipe (https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/03/sizzling-chicken-fajitas/). And then amped up the spices in the dressing a bit to counter-act the vinegar. Super delicious! Oh and added a diced bell pepper to add some crunch.
Perfect warm weather food — made ahead for a celebration and what was good, got even better through the day waiting for the party to begin. Yummo!
Have you tried to add fresh coconut?
So yummy! I didn’t have lime so I used fresh lemon juice & threw in 2 ripe chopped tomatoes (I made 1/2 recipe) it was so scrumptious! Thank you!
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I followed suit on another reviewers suggestion and added honey (to taste) to the dressing and some minced jalapeno to the salad. Perfect!
I love this recipe! I put a scoop over some lettuce for a great lunch salad :)
Ive made this so many times and its truly amazing. I always add some agave and jalapeno to it. Im cutting back on oil and wondered if the dressing would work without oil in it?
I do a lot of oil free cooking and you can use “aqua faba” aka chickpea water from the can in place of oil.
Hiya!
Looks like a great recipe! Want to try it tomorrow for dinner but I’d like to use it more as a main, so wondering if you think bulking it up with some cooked quinoa (or some other grain) would work/ taste ok?
P.S. Love your ideas on here!
I think quinoa would be great with this! You may need to make a bit more dressing to make up for the extra volume, though.
Hi Beth,
On your recipe for Super Fresh Cucumber Salad, you recommend soaking red onion in ice water to cut down its intense bite. Would you recommend that for this recipe as well? I’m just a bit skeptical of too much garlic + onions!
Yes, if you’re sensitive to red onions, I would definitely soak them first because they are quite strong in this recipe. You can also start with half the amount of onion I have listed, and add more if you feel like you can handle it. :)
This is one of my favorite recipes from your website. I have made this at least 10 times: bring to potlucks, serve with fish tacos, or a vegetarian filling option for tacos. I look forward to bringing this for lunch at my new job; I’ll just wrap in a tortilla or stuff in a pita. I don’t think I ever change anything…just eyeball and taste the dressing.
As a new-to-your-website vegetarian student, I have to say, this was a nice surprise for the cost. Thank you for the lovely recipe, will be looking into more of your low-budget concoctions.
I wanted to thank you for this recipe! Its so easy to make and very delicious. I make it almost every time I’m invited for a bbq and its a hit every time ^_^ so thanks!
This is my 20 month old daughter’s favorite meal! She can’t get enough of it! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog! Thank you all of the work you put into it!
I found there to be too much onion and not enough seasoning, but after I picked out some of the onion and added extra lime & salt, it’s delish! I have a huge obsession with chick peas and I’m so happy to add this recipe to my repitoire :)
looks yummy. Think I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow!
This is WONDERFUL! Just made it for lunch. I made a half-recipe. Then served myself 1 cup for now, and saving the other cup for lunch tomorrow! It’s like all my favorite things in one bowl. Your recipes never strike out Beth! Someone ask me last night on Facebook if all I eat is your recipes…. seems like it! :)
I just made this for my lunch tomorrow and had my roommate try some. His response ‘this is the freshest-tasting thing I’ve ever eaten’
As always, thank you. Also, I substituted cumin for paprika which worked equally well :)
You can cook the garbanzo beans in a pressure cooker too!
Just made this using one can of chick peas and added sliced carrots and cucumber. Used lemon instead of lime and green onion in stead of red onion. Basically – I used what I had on hand! It tastes incredible! So fresh!
Made this and its GREAT! Thanks so much! This is the first recipe I have made from here and plan to make many more..Can’t wait to try others.
We made these last night, along with the kale, swiss and tomato pizza :) Both recipes were awesome! Filled us up so quickly.
I make something very similar to this with black beans…but add chopped red pepper and maybe a little chipotle powder!…..then I add fresh tomatoes to serve! I mix up mashed avocado with an equal amount of Greek yogurt and use it to “dress” my salad! I eat this stuff every week! And, yes, it IS better the next day, too! Just recently found your site and will be here daily, I’m afraid! (Chris in Indiana)
If you stick this in a tortilla with salsa, this makes an absolutely excellent taco filling!
Well I made this, but my husband wanted hummus, so I blended everythimg and added 2 Tbsp. more of oil to help it mix. Tasted great with your Naan recipe;)
Tonight’s dinner! This is fantastic! Thank you SO much for all your great ideas! : )
Just made this, but added bell peppers and radishes and a cucumber as well. Sweet summer salad. The dressing is amazing and works so well with everything in it!
Tiffany – Yes, in fact, I find it even tastier the next day!
Looks yummy! Do you think this could be made ahead? My sons preschool has a bbq tomorrow night and they want the food dropped off in the morning. Would it be ok if I made it tonight? Thank you!
This was GREAT! We are baking up the Vegetable Tian tomorrow. I usually don’t bake in the summer but this looks worth turning on the oven for. ;-) Thanks so much for posting. First time here and the step-by-step format with photos makes these drop-dead simple. I’ve shared this link with several friends.
this was good! I added avocado!yum!
I made this tonight, it was delicious! Very light and fresh and easy to do.
This is deeelicious. I’ve got it in my fridge right now ruminating.
It reminds me of the chickpea salad at my favorite Indian restaurant.
Made this last night with jalapeno, tomato, and flaked grilled tuna. Had it in a soft corn tortilla for a fish taco twist! It was very good!! Next time I might add some shredded cabbage for a little crunch in the taco.
oh my goodness! this was so fantastic. Wish I would have made a bigger batch but am heading out for more garbanzos tomorrow to make it again. SO SO GOOD!
Sounds delicious. Think I’ll try this with quinoa and add jalapeno, feta and red wine vinegar !
This was so great… I used only about a quarter of the red onion (I get some mad onion breath if I have to much), and took your suggestion of adding the jalapeno, plus added a little red wine vinegar. All my coworkers were jealous of my salad for the week!
This is my new favorite lunch! I had a half a can of corn leftover that I tossed into the last batch- yum! I eat it plain or in a wheat tortilla with spinach.
Made this.. It’s yummy!
You can leave out the cilantro but I would definitely replace it with parsley. You need that bit of green freshness to balance the other flavors.
Would it be a big deal to leave the cilantro out of this recipe? I’m one of those cilantro-phobes (they say it’s genetic!) so I stay away from it as much as possible.
This was a TON of onion for me. Next time I’m going to start with a quarter of one and go from there.
This is good. Do add the jalapeno (about a teaspoon minced)and just a little honey (1/4-1/2 tsp.). I also added about 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds which really “made” the salad in my opinion!
I just made this and it is waiting for me in the fridge. I’m hoping it’ll be good for lunch tomorrow, between classes!
You guys may like Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Dill from cookinglight.com http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/orzo-salad-with-chickpeas-dill-lemon-10000000338370/
I just made this and it was exquisite. I did add some fresh parsley and mint along with the cilantro, and a splash of grapefruit juice since I did not have any limes/lemons. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m going to try lightly cooking the chickpeas, garlic, and onion to avoid dragon breath. I put everything in a pita wrap to make it a meal. Thanks for the recipe!
i am a regular reader of your blog and the items you present are very easy to make and very yummy.
I recently started reading your blog and love every recipe you post…but this one has to be one of my favorites! I love chickpeas! I am making this tonight and adding avocado and red peppers.
miam miam! So good! thank you! I love your website. Nice work
Made this today. It was delicious. So glad I’ve discovered Budgetbytes.
Thanks, Beth!
I just made this! I added both jalapeno and some feta cheese and it is AMAZING! Thanks for the great recipe!
It’s like you read my mind when you posted this recipe – I was pondering what to do with an extra red onion, lime, and bunch of cilantro I have in my fridge! Going to try it for lunch.
I bet this would also be awesome if you made it with quinoa. Oh the possibilities!
I did this with some Kashi 7-grain pilaf that I had on hand, and added Chipotle powder based on your suggestion of adding Jalapeno; – Tasty!
What a wonderful healthy meal! I love chickpeas and southwestern flavors.
Mmmm I love chickpeas! Now I have a new way to make them :)
Yum! I’ve tried cooking my own chickpeas. It’s easy, of course, but you need to pick out the skins after they cook off — that’s the secret to smooth homemade hummus made with dried beans, too.
Well, I know what I am having for lunch next week! This looks so delicious and healthy, and I agree – it’s time for some sunshine in my mouth!