Sometimes, you need something fast and filled with nutrition. I get it. That’s why I originally made this recipe. I originally made it for dinner, but I quickly learned it’s the perfect lunch throughout the week. It’s a pretty quick prep that takes less than 30 minutes to cook, and the best part is it’s filled with protein, so I’ll never hear the famous question: “But where do you get your protein?”

Yes, I still hear this all the time. Seriously, it’s probably the number one question I get when people find out I am plant-based. Then when they find out I’m also soy-free (and then, when I was gluten-free), they assume I eat dirt and leaves for every meal. Surprisingly, I am not malnourished! How? Because I know how to create balanced meals, and this recipe is a great example of such.

Chickpeas are brimming with nutrients; one cup contains (1):

• 14.5 g of protein (29% DV)
• 12.5 g of fiber (50% DV)
• 70.5 mg of omega-3 fatty acids
• 1825 mg of omega-6 fatty acids
• 44.3 IU of vitamin A (1% DV)
• 2.1 mg of vitamin C (4% DV)
• 0.6 mg of vitamin E (3% DV)
• 6.6 mcg of vitamin K (8% DV)
• 0.2 mg of thiamin (13% DV)
• 0.1 mg of riboflavin (6% DV)
• 0.9 mg of niacin (4% DV)
• 0.2 mg of vitamin B6 (11% DV)
• 282 mcg of folate (71% DV)
• 80.5 mg Calcium (8%)
• 4.7 mg of iron (26%)
• 78.7 mg of magnesium (20%)
• 276 mg of phosphorus (28%)
• 477 mg of potassium (14%)
• 2.5 mg of zinc (17%)
• 1.7 mg of manganese (84%)
• 6.1 mcg of selenium (9%)

Although chickpeas alone are not a complete protein, the whole-grain pasta I use completes this meal. Add in the plant-based feta cheese, which I sometimes make homemade (recipe coming soon), and fresh produce; you have a nutritious, filling, and delicious meal ready to conquer all the malnutrition myths floating around the internet.

So, without further ado, I introduce my chickpea pasta salad. This recipe is plant-based and vegan-friendly. It can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy; it can even be whole-food plant-based (see recipe notes for details).

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. pasta (I use Jovial’s Gluten-Free Elbow Pasta, which contains grains)
• Oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
• 15 oz. can of chickpeas
• 1 tbsp. grilling chicken seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Chicken Seasoning)
• 8 oz. plant-based feta cheese (diced or crumbled)
• 3 mini cucumbers (diced)
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes (halved)
• 1/4 red onion (diced
• 1 avocado (diced)

Pasta Salad Dressing:

• 4 tbsp. plant-based mayonnaise or yogurt
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 tbsp. garlic herb seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Garlic Herb Seasoning)
• 1 tbsp. Honey, maple syrup, or date syrup (I use Nate’s Organic 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey)
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. dill weed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by preparing the pasta according to the package instructions. (I used Jovial’s Organic Brown Rice Elbows and found they needed to be cooked for 16 minutes.)
2. As the pasta is cooking, combine all the pasta salad dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place in the fridge to chill as you prepare the rest of the meal.
3. When the pasta is done cooking, rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking.
4. Add the pasta to the pasta salad dressing, along with the feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Stir, and place back in the fridge to chill.
5. While that’s chilling, add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. As the oil gets to temperature, season the chickpeas with grilling chicken seasoning and shake, ensuring they are coated well.
6. When the oil is ready, fry for about 10 minutes to get a slightly brown color, then remove the chickpeas from the pan and place them in the mixing bowl to chill in the fridge (don’t forget to stir them in).
7. When you’re ready to serve, add the diced avocado to each serving to prevent it from browning (especially if you’re expecting leftovers).

NOTES

• To make whole-food plant-based, make your own feta cheese (recipe coming soon) and mayo (or yogurt).
• If you wish to omit the oil, simply cook the chickpeas in an air fryer or oven at 400ºF for ten minutes.

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Chickpea Pasta Salad

This simple and fast protein-rich chickpea pasta salad is plant-based and vegan-friendly. It can be made free from coconut, dairy, gluten, grains, nuts, and soy, and with a few minor tweaks, it can even be whole-food plant-based. This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare, with 25 minutes for cooking and one hour for chilling.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Chill Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Recipe by: Sarena-Rae Santos (The Holistic Hipppie)

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 12 oz. pasta (I use Jovial's Gluten-Free Elbow Pasta, which contains grains)
• Oil of choice (I use cold-pressed avocado oil)
• 15 oz. can of chickpeas
• 1 tbsp. grilling chicken seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Grilling Chicken Seasoning)
• 8 oz. plant-based feta cheese (diced or crumbled)
• 3 mini cucumbers (diced)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 avocado (diced)
• 1/4 red onion (diced)

Pasta Salad Dressing

• 4 tbsp. plant-based mayonnaise or yogurt
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 tbsp. garlic herb seasoning (I use Watkins Organic Garlic Herb Seasoning)
• 1 tbsp. honey, maple syrup, or date syrup (I use Nate's Organic 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey)
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. dill weed

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Start by preparing the pasta according to the package instructions. (I used Jovial’s Organic Brown Rice Elbows and found they needed to be cooked for 16 minutes.)
• As the pasta is cooking, combine all the pasta salad dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place in the fridge to chill as you prepare the rest of the meal.
• When the pasta is done cooking, rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking.
• Add the pasta to the pasta salad dressing, along with the feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Stir, and place back in the fridge to chill.
• While that’s chilling, add oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat. As the oil gets to temperature, season the chickpeas with grilling chicken seasoning and shake, ensuring they are coated well.
• When the oil is ready, fry for about 10 minutes to get a slightly brown color, then remove the chickpeas from the pan and place them in the mixing bowl to chill in the fridge (don’t forget to stir them in).
• When you’re ready to serve, add the diced avocado to each serving to prevent it from browning (especially if you’re expecting leftovers).

Notes

• To make whole-food plant-based, make your own feta cheese (recipe coming soon) and mayo (or yogurt).
• If you wish to omit the oil, simply cook the chickpeas in an air fryer or oven at 400ºF for ten minutes.

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