Fiber-Forward Chickpea Salad (Printable)

Chickpeas, cabbage, and carrots tossed in creamy tahini and lemon dressing for a nourishing dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
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, to thin dressing
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, mix together chickpeas, cabbage, carrots, diced red bell pepper, green onions, parsley, and optional toasted sunflower seeds.
02 - In a separate small bowl, whisk tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Gradually add cold water to achieve a creamy, pourable consistency.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad mixture and toss thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance flavor integration.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means lunch doesn't feel like a production.
  • The tahini-lemon dressing is so good you'll find yourself wanting it on everything.
  • It actually gets better after sitting in the fridge, so it's a perfect meal-prep friend.
  • You feel genuinely full and satisfied, not like you're eating rabbit food.
02 -
  • Tahini can seize up and become grainy if you don't add the lemon juice and oil slowly at first; treat it gently and it will reward you with creaminess.
  • The dressing will thicken slightly as it sits, so if you're making this ahead, err on the side of slightly thinner when you first mix it.
  • Rinsing canned chickpeas makes a real difference in the final taste and prevents the salad from tasting tinny or metallic.
03 -
  • Make the dressing first, then prep your vegetables—it gives the flavors time to meld while you're chopping, and the finished salad tastes more cohesive.
  • If you have access to fresh lemon, use it, but if you only have bottled, add a tiny pinch of lemon zest if you have it, or add slightly less bottled juice to compensate for the flatness.
  • This salad keeps beautifully in the fridge for three days, and it actually tastes better on day two, making it a perfect meal-prep friend for the busy week ahead.
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