Pesto Chickpea Spinach Salad (Printable Version)

A fresh blend of chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes and pesto for a quick, flavorful meal option.

# What You'll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - ½ cup cucumber, diced
06 - ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
07 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Pesto Dressing

08 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
09 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
12 - 1 clove garlic
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed for consistency

# Steps:

01 - Combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil and water until smooth and pourable. Season with salt and pepper.
02 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber.
03 - Pour the pesto dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat thoroughly.
04 - Sprinkle toasted pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese on top if desired.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to scroll through your phone, no cooking required.
  • The pesto clings to every chickpea and leaf, making each forkful taste like summer.
  • You can eat it straight away or let it sit in the fridge, and somehow it gets even better.
02 -
  • Dry your spinach completely or the pesto will turn watery and pool at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Taste the pesto before you toss it in, you might want more lemon or salt depending on your basil and Parmesan.
  • Don't skip rinsing the chickpeas, that canned liquid has a weird metallic taste that clings.
03 -
  • Add a handful of ice cubes to the food processor when making pesto, it keeps the basil bright green instead of turning muddy brown.
  • If your pesto tastes flat, a pinch of red pepper flakes or an extra squeeze of lemon will wake it up instantly.
  • Let the chickpeas come to room temperature before tossing, cold chickpeas don't absorb the dressing as well.
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