Chickpea Greek Salad

Studies have proven time and time again the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. They are filled with important micronutrients, water, and fibre, and they boost our mental health. However, consuming vegetables raw may give our brain and our mood an extra boost compared to eating them processed. Research has shown a correlation between the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables with “reduced depressive symptoms and higher positive mood, life satisfaction, and flourishing” according to a study completed in New Zealand (find the complete article here). Get a daily dose of happy with this chickpea greek salad - a super easy, healthy, and quick meal that is sure to leave you satisfied.

This salad is filling because of the added fibre and protein from the chickpeas. If you are plant-based you can easily substitute the feta cheese with a vegan version or just leave it out. Additionally, if you want to cover all the food groups in one meal, cooked and cooled millet is a great addition to this salad, and will make it even more robust.

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas

3-4 persian cucumbers (or 1 english cucumber)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 bunch italian parsley (about 1 cup)

1/2 red onion

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup kalamata olives (about 15)

2 tbsp hemp hearts *optional

1/3 cup greek salad dressing *recipe here

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside. Dice the cucumber and red onion, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and roughly chop the parsley.

Add all chopped vegetables, chickpeas, and kalamata olives to a large bowl and crumble feta cheese over top. Add the salad dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.