Sesame Free Vegan Fresh Chickpea Cucumber Salad
Bright, herby, and packed with plant-based protein, this chickpea and cucumber salad is the kind of dish that disappears fast at any table. Juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and tender chickpeas get tossed with red onion, fresh parsley, and mint for a combination that feels genuinely refreshing. The dressing is where the magic happens — a zippy blend of lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and ground cumin that ties every ingredient together beautifully. Many store-bought salads and dressings sneak in tahini or other sesame-derived ingredients, so making this one from scratch means you stay completely in control of what goes into the bowl. A short ten-minute rest before serving lets the chickpeas soak up all that citrusy, cumin-forward dressing, which makes a noticeable difference in flavor. It works as a light lunch on its own, a hearty side at a cookout, or a meal-prep staple that holds up well in the fridge.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 english cucumber, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground cumin, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, until combined.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, parsley, and mint.
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