Creamy Chickpea Salad with Homemade Croutons Recipe
This Creamy Chickpea Salad is a vibrant, fresh, and crunchy dish perfect for a light meal or side. Featuring tender chickpeas, crisp vegetables, homemade golden croutons, and a tangy Greek yoghurt dressing, it balances creaminess and texture with simple, wholesome ingredients in just 22 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 x 400 gram tins chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- Small handful flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
- ¼ medium red onion (diced)
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers (diced into 1cm pieces)
- 1 red capsicum (core removed, diced)
- 100 grams green beans (cut into 1 cm lengths)
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 portion 5 minute Greek Yoghurt Dressing
Croutons
- 6 slices bread of choice (cut into 2cm cubes)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Italian herbs
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- Freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) to prepare for making the croutons.
- Make Croutons: In a large bowl, combine the cubed bread with onion powder, garlic powder, Italian herbs, sea salt flakes, freshly cracked black pepper, and olive oil. Toss well to coat all pieces evenly. Spread the bread cubes evenly on a baking tray, making sure to sprinkle any remaining seasoning from the bowl over the cubes. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- Make Salad Dressing: Prepare the 5 minute Greek yoghurt dressing according to your chosen recipe or package instructions to add a creamy tang to the salad.
- Blanch Green Beans: Place the cut green beans into a heatproof jug and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit briefly, then carefully drain through a heatproof strainer and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and maintain their bright color and crunch.
- Assemble Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, chopped parsley, diced red onion, diced cucumber, diced red capsicum, and blanched green beans. Add the freshly baked croutons, pour over the Greek yoghurt dressing, and toss everything thoroughly to combine all flavors and textures evenly.
Notes
- Use crusty bread like sourdough or ciabatta for croutons for the best texture.
- For a vegan version, substitute Greek yoghurt dressing with a dairy-free alternative.
- Make sure to rinse chickpeas well to reduce sodium if using canned.
- The salad is best served immediately to keep croutons crunchy but can be stored separately to maintain texture.
- Adjust seasoning and herbs to suit your taste preferences.
