Herby Chickpea and Orzo Salad
This hearty vegan salad is the perfect warm weather treat! It’s best served cold with some fresh herbs. I chose fresh basil for this recipe, but don’t be afraid to toss in other types if your local farmers’ market has other herbs you like. In fact, this salad is a great way to utilize your haul from a Saturday morning veggie-stand binge. The inclusion of both orzo pasta and chickpeas gives this salad a robustness, while the red onion and English cucumber give it eye-appealing color. A zesty lemon juice dressing adds the final touch.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 c. dry orzo pasta
- ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 English cucumber, diced (See Recipe Notes)
- ¼ c. fresh basil, washed and torn
- Fresh parsley and/or dill (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lemon zest, to taste
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Instructions:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the chickpeas and cover with water. Simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 25 minutes. Rinse the chickpeas with cold water and refrigerate until ready for use.
- Cook the orzo pasta according to the package directions. Chill in the refrigerator until ready for use.
- Prepare the dressing by combining the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Assemble the salad by combining the orzo pasta, chickpeas, red onion, cucumber and lemon dressing. Top with the basil and any other fresh herbs, if desired. Add the salt, pepper and lemon zest, to taste.
RECIPE NOTES:
- While you can use chickpeas directly from a can, I like to take the extra step of simmering them first as it makes them more tender.
- If you’re food prepping this salad, make the chickpeas and orzo pasta in advance. That way they’ll have time to cool before you put it all together.
- This recipe calls for an English cucumber. An English cucumber is a longer, slimmer version of the popular slicing cucumber. It’s typically wrapped in plastic which eliminates the need for wax on the skin. The seeds are underdeveloped, making them less bitter than their counterparts. If you can’t find an English cucumber, you can substitute a slicing cucumber. I recommend removing the skin before dicing it.
