Feta and Cranberry Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Servings & Prep Time
Yield:** 6 side-dish servings or 4 main-course servings
Prep Time:** 15 minutes
Total Time:** 15 minutes (plus optional chilling time)
The Ingredients
The Salad Base:
2 cans (15 oz each)** chickpeas (garbanzo beans), thoroughly drained and rinsed
1 cup** dried cranberries
1/2 cup** feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 small** red onion, finely diced
1 cup** cucumber, diced (English or Persian cucumbers work best as they are seedless and less watery)
The Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup** extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp** fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tsp** Dijon mustard (helps bind the oil and lemon juice together)
1 tsp** honey or maple syrup (to balance the tartness of the lemon)
1/2 tsp** kosher salt
1/4 tsp** freshly cracked black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
**1. Prepare the Chickpeas**
Pour the chickpeas into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove the starchy canning liquid. Shake off the excess water, then spread the chickpeas onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Gently pat them completely dry. Dry chickpeas absorb the lemon vinaigrette much better than wet ones.
**2. Prep the Vegetables**
Dice the cucumber into uniform, bite-sized pieces. Finely dice the red onion. If you are sensitive to the strong, pungent bite of raw red onions, place the diced onions in a small bowl of ice water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and dry them thoroughly before adding them to the salad.
**3. Whisk the Vinaigrette**
In a small bowl or a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously (or shake the jar) until the dressing is completely smooth, emulsified, and slightly thickened.
**4. Assemble and Toss**
In a large serving bowl, combine the dried chickpeas, dried cranberries, diced cucumber, and diced red onion. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the top. Use a large spoon to toss the ingredients gently until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
**5. Add the Feta and Chill**
Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese at the very end. Adding the feta last prevents it from breaking down completely and turning the dressing cloudy. While you can serve this immediately, covering the bowl and chilling it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes allows the chickpeas to marinate and the flavors to beautifully meld together.