Description
Cranberry Walnut Chickpea Salad with Orange Vinaigrette is a light and flavorful salad featuring nutrient-packed chickpeas, tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and a citrusy orange vinaigrette. A perfect dish for a light lunch or as a side to your main meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the salad:
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1 small cucumber, diced
- 1 cup mixed greens or spinach
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (optional, for added flavor)
- For the orange vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh orange juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (if using), salt, and black pepper until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
- For the salad: In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, cucumber, mixed greens, and red onion.
- Drizzle the orange vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- If using, sprinkle the salad with feta cheese and give it another quick toss.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to an hour to let the flavors marinate. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the feta cheese with vegan cheese or leave it out for a dairy-free version.
- If you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette, you can increase the amount of honey or maple syrup to your liking.
- This salad pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, salmon, or as a stand-alone vegetarian meal.
- For added texture, you can add some roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 5mg