Chickpeas are a good plant-based protein source. Mixed with herbs and vegetables, this chickpea salad is great on lettuce or as a sandwich.
When I first ventured into the vegan world, I remember seeing chickpea salad as a chicken or tuna substitute. At first, I didn’t like it, but now I’m a fan! First of all, I was new to cooking and seriously unreasoning my foods. And now I’m a much more of a chickpea fan.
Vegetarian Protein Sources
A common question about eating plant-based is “how do you get enough protein?” Often people think it’s too hard to consume enough protein if you don’t eat meat, but it’s really not true! First, we have to talk about how the US food guidelines were influenced by lobby groups that wanted to people to eat more meat and drink more milk. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but these outdated guidelines are still engrained in people’s minds. Now, the My Plate focuses less on meat and more on protein (meat and plant-based).
Aside from the thought that meat is the best source of protein, people also think they need WAY more protein than you actually do. The RDA for protein is calculated by multiplying your body weight in kg by 0.8. So, a 150 lb. person weighs 68 kg. Multiply 68×0.8 and you get 54.4g of protein. Pretty easy exceed if you have a serving of meat at every meal. One (4oz.) serving of chicken is about 32g of protein which puts you almost half way there. Vegetarians who eat milk and eggs can get protein from those sources, but even vegans can eat enough protein without a problem.
Plant-based sources of protein include:
- Beans
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Nuts and seeds
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Plant-based “meats”
All this to say, chickpeas are a good source of protein. 1 cup of chickpeas has 11.9g of protein. So, if you’re looking for a way to get some plant-protein into your diet, a chickpea salad sandwich could be one great option. Also, check out this post to make lentil meatballs for another easy plant protein.
Herby Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 3 ribs celery
- ½ English cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- 2 tbsp dill
- 2 tbsp tarragon
- 1 16 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the celery ribs in half lengthwise and then finely dice the celery.
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds (to remove excess moisture) and cut the halves in half again lengthwise. Finely dice the strips of cucumber.
- Chop the almonds into fine chunks. Dice the dill and tarragon.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork until the chickpeas are broken up, but still have some texture.
- Mix in the chopped celery, cucumber, almonds, dill, and tarragon. Add the mayo, pickle juice, and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.