By: Lauren McRae

Some of the most nourishing recipes are the most simplistic. Enjoy the protein and fiber-packed nutrition in this chickpea salad.

If you don't like chickpeas, you can most certainly swap with other beans such as cannellini, Navy or Great Northern beans. The great thing about this salad is that it's customizable - you can use any kind of veggies or herbs you like. To bulk up the salad, you can add healthy grains like couscous, quinoa, freekeh and barley. 

To get you started, Lori Bumbaco, Oncology Dietitian at NorthShore’s Kellogg Cancer Center offers this recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas (1-14 oz canned beans, low-sodium preferably
• 1 cup of cooked couscous
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced olives
• A handful of parsley, chopped

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and parsley.
2. Slowly drizzle olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and combine everything together.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
4. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-6 days.

Serves: 2-3

This recipe was inspired by Lunchbox Chickpea Salad.