Everyday cooking
Chickpea salad with feta and cucumber
Chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and leaf spinach combine with lemon and feta.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings / pieces
- 4
- Topic
- Everyday cooking
Tinned or jarred chickpeas make this salad quick to assemble. Rinse and drain them thoroughly so their packing liquid does not dilute the dressing. Cucumber and tomato provide freshness, while leaf spinach supplies a tender green base. Crumble feta loosely over the top at the end. Either combine all the ingredients or arrange them in separate groups on a platter, which is useful when diners have different preferences. Lemon juice, olive oil and oregano form the dressing. Begin with little added salt because the feta contributes additional seasoning when the finished salad is mixed.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Rinse chickpeas
Rinse the chickpeas under cold water and drain thoroughly. Remove loose skins if wanted, though it is unnecessary. Pat very wet chickpeas lightly with a clean towel.
- 02
Prepare vegetables
Wash cucumber, halve lengthways and remove a particularly soft seed centre. Cut into small half-moons. Halve cherry tomatoes. Wash spinach, discard damaged leaves and dry thoroughly.
- 03
Mix dressing
Mix lemon juice, oil, oregano, pepper and a little salt in a bowl. Taste a chickpea in the dressing before adding more salt; feta will add further seasoning.
- 04
Assemble salad
Gently combine chickpeas, cucumber and tomatoes with the dressing. Arrange spinach as a bed on a platter or fold it in immediately before serving.
- 05
Add feta
Crumble feta over the salad and add parsley. Mix carefully or serve the ingredients in groups. Taste again after 5 minutes and add more lemon juice if needed.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Keep the spinach dry and tender
Wet leaves shed the dressing and make the salad watery. A salad spinner or clean towel helps. Baby spinach needs no cooking; tear larger, firmer leaves smaller and remove coarse stems. Add acidic dressing only shortly before eating.
Use home-cooked chickpeas
Cooked and cooled chickpeas work equally well. The weight here refers to cooked pulses, not dried ones. Hard chickpeas will not soften further in a cold salad. Taste one before mixing to avoid unpleasantly firm grains throughout the dish.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
What can replace feta?
A mild brined white cheese works similarly. Without cheese, toasted seeds and extra seasoning are useful, though the flavour is less salty and creamy.
Can I pack it to take away?
Transport dressing and spinach separately if possible and combine before eating. Cucumber, tomatoes and chickpeas can already be assembled.
