Fiber-Forward Chickpea Salad (Print View)

Vibrant chickpeas, cabbage, and carrots with tahini-lemon dressing for a nutritious boost.

# Components:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned
02 - 2 cups shredded green or red cabbage
03 - 1 cup shredded carrots
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
07 - 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds (optional)

→ Tahini-Lemon Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons tahini
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water, as needed to thin
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Preparation Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, parsley, and optional sunflower seeds until evenly distributed.
02 - In a separate small bowl, whisk tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Gradually add cold water until the dressing reaches a creamy, pourable consistency.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in 15 minutes but tastes like you spent real time on it, which is exactly the kind of kitchen magic I live for.
  • The fiber-packed base keeps you full for hours, and the creamy tahini dressing makes it feel indulgent without any guilt.
  • One bowl works as lunch, dinner, or a side dish—it adapts to whatever your day throws at you.
02 -
  • Tahini and lemon are the dynamic duo here—if your dressing tastes flat, it's not that you need more salt, it's that you need more lemon or a slightly warmer temperature for the tahini to open up.
  • Soggy salad happens not because of dressing but because your cabbage wasn't packed tightly enough when shredded; loosely shredded cabbage wilts, densely shredded cabbage stays crisp.
  • Cold water changes everything—warm water makes tahini break and separate, so chill your water or use it straight from the fridge.
03 -
  • Massage your raw cabbage with a pinch of salt 5 minutes before building the salad—it softens just slightly and becomes more receptive to the dressing.
  • Make the dressing separately and taste it alone before tossing; you're seasoning the dressing, not the vegetables, and this lets you dial it in with precision.
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