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Last updated on January 18th, 2024 at 05:17 pm
It might not be salad season right now, but I am craving salads, so today we’re gonna make this healthy Mediterranean beets cabbage and chickpea salad. Too self-centered? Well…It is the perfect Mediterranean recipe for winter and we’re gonna feel fresh, energized and healthy – as if we’re on vitamins or something. And we’re not gonna cry while we’re eating this, because it tastes good, okay?
Now you know how to feel and think about my recipes. First step to World domination, check.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Ingredients
OMG, I’m pretty sure when you read the ingredient list you’ll be like: “No thanks” if you’re polite. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll just go “Bah”, turn around and go back to talking with your sheep friends. Get it? Sheep also say baaaahhhh…Yes, I did call myself sheep right now. And that’s okay, because they’re cute and probably warm. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened. I haven’t written anything in a while and I’m a little bit rusty. Anyway, here’s what’s in this Mediterranean chickpea salad with beets and cabbage:
- chickpeas
- cabbage
- beets (so far no surprises!)
- arugula
- olives
- scallions
- feta cheese
- avocado
- garlic
- olive oil
- and some other things.
Dirty Beets
You know how usually beets taste like dirt? Sorry, I forgot to be sophisticated. They taste “earthy”.
They taste like something you chew once and spit out the moment it hits your taste buds because you realize you haven’t washed your vegetables and E.coli will ruin your life for a few days. In reality, that’s just how beets taste, no E.coli or salmonella. That’s their taste. The unwashed vegetable flavor.
However, I realized this winter there’s pretty much nothing else to eat that is kinda in season. Cabbage and beets. That’s it! It’s a tough life, but we’ll survive, I promise.
Tomatoes? My sister bought one about two months ago and it hasn’t aged a bit in the fridge. J. Lo is aging faster than that tomato.
Berries? Forget about them during winter. They cost an arm and a liver and aren’t bursting with antioxidants during this season. In fact, a few weeks ago I saw perfectly white strawberries in the shop. Apparently they forgot to inject the red dye. Who knew strawberries can’t fully develop when you grow them on wet cotton. (My dad tried to explain to me how that works once, but I spaced out, so don’t ask me – and now you’re like I don’t care, it’s okay, let’s move on).
Basically, the options are very limited and my immune system seems to not be doing well these last few months. I need vitamins!
And so I went for the beets. You know what? Once you get past that dirt taste, they’re actually sweet and delicious. They’re kinda becoming my substitution for tomatoes right now. Who am I kidding, nothing is as good as tomatoes and you can’t convince me otherwise. But if you choose a very good, firm beet you you’ll love the sweetness.
How To Make This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Well, I’m very surprised, because with those unexpected ingredients this salad is actually now what I’m making pretty much 3-4 times every week. I love it! It’s delicious, it’s SUPER healthy and I feel so alive and good when I eat it. Like, it makes me so happy! It’s pretty easy to make too, the process involves:
- some peeling and chopping
- opening a can of chickpeas, rinsing and draining
- mashing a garlic clove with a garlic press
And that’s it. Put it all in a bowl, pour some olive oil, lemon juice and some sugar on it, then remove the sugar, because it will taste bad in the salad and because it will get you addicted. And you’re done.
I hope you enjoy this Mediterranean winter salad with chickpeas, beets and cabbage if you’re brave enough to make something fresh during this cold weather. I don’t know what’s wrong with me I keep craving smoothies and salads which is not normal, I know. And I’m not even pretending. Okay, I’ll go and leave you alone with the recipe.
Yield: 2-3
Healthy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (Winter Salad)
Beet cabbage and chickpea salad - an easy Mediterranean winter recipe that is packed with flavor and is healthy and easy to make for lunch or dinner. This is the perfect recipe for when you don't know what to make with beets!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cabbage, chopped, red or green
- 1 cup arugula
- 1/3 cup olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup beets, peeled and chopped
- 2 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juice of
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp basil leaves, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, massage the cabbage with the lemon juice and the garlic.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and some pepper and salt to taste (this salad was salty enough for me with the feta cheese and olives!)
- If looks are important to you and you want to arrange the bowl nicely: make the cabbage and arugula the base and then top with the rest of the ingredients. Shocker: taste-wise nothing will change.
- Serve immediately!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 13gSugar: 9gProtein: 12g
More Healthy Salad Recipes
I hope you enjoy this healthy Mediterranean chickpea beets and cabbage salad whenever you decide to make it – it will make a great recipe during fall as well! For more healthy salads, check these out:
- Tomato, Basil and Chickpea Salad Recipe
- The Best Avocado Chickpea Salad Recipe
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
