Beetroot Chickpea Salad

This healthy beetroot chickpea salad is made with beets (boiled or roasted), chickpeas, cottage cheese (paneer), cucumber, red onion, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Serve it along side any meal or enjoy for a light lunch.

Why You'll Love This Beet and Chickpea Salad Recipe

• Fresh, Hearty, filling, and packed with flavors
• Protein and fiber-rich
• Can be made ahead of time
• Perfect for lunch, picnics, and potlucks.
• Dairy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free and can be made vegan.

Beetroot Chickpea Salad Ingredients

• Beets: I used fresh medium-sized beets in this recipe. You can either boil or roast beets until tender. I like using my electric pressure cooker to cook the beets, Here is the detailed recipe Instant Pot Beets. If you don't have pressure cooker, then cook them in a large pot of boiling water until tender. I do not prefer using canned beets in the salad.
• Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans): You can use either canned or cooked chickpeas. I cooked my chickpeas using a electric pressure cooker. I prefer to soak them overnight and then cook them. Learn How to cook Chickpeas in Instant Pot. If using canned, make sure to rinse and drain before using.
• Cheese: I used paneer in this recipe. You may also use feta or mozzarella cheese
• Cucumber: I like to use English or Persian cucumbers for salads. But, you can use any type of cucumber you like.
• Red onions: Red onion adds a bit of sweetness and crunch to the salad.
• Fresh Herbs: I used fresh coriander leaves in this recipe. You may also use other fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or dill. Ensure to finely chop them just before using them for maximum freshness.
• Garnish: I added sunflower seeds added texture and crunch. Feel free to use any toasted nuts of your choice like almonds, pecan, or walnuts.

Dressing

• Olive oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is preferred for this salad. You can also substitute any type of vinegar, like distilled white, apple cider vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar.
• Garlic: Use freshly minced or pressed garlic.
• Seasoning: roasted cumin powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to Make Beetroot Chickpea Salad

Prepare The Dressing

In a small jar, add all the dressing ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, roasted cumin powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.

Assemble The Salad

In a large mixing bowl, add all the salad ingredients like cooked beets, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, paneer, and coriander leaves.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss well to combine.

Top it with some sunflower seeds and serve immediately. Or cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This Beet Salad is wholesome and can be enjoyed on its own. You can also serve it as a a side salad along with soup, grilled veggies, or sandwiches for a complete and satisfying meal.

Popular Substitutions & Additions

• Cheese: Swap paneer (cottage cheese) with crumbed or cubed feta cheese or mozarella cheese.
• Make it Spicier: Add freshly chopped green chilies or jalapeño pepper.
• Other fresh herbs: Try dill leaves, parsley, fresh thyme or mint.
• Add Nuts: Add almonds, walnuts, or pecans for some nice crunch.
• Vegan: Substitute Paneer with roasted tofu.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make-Ahead: You can pre-cook the beets and chickpeas up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container until you are ready to use.
• Storage: Leftover Beet and chickpea salad will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. After that, the flavors will start to fade.

More Beetroot Recipes

• Beetroot Kurma
• Beetroot Cutlet
• Chickpea Beetroot Stir fry
• Carrot Beetroot Sandwich
• Beetroot Raita
• Beetroot Paratha
• Beetroot Halwa

More Salad Recipes

• Chickpea Cucumber Salad
• Sprouted Moong Salad
• Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Quinoa Chickpea Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Boiled Peanut Salad

If you’ve tried this healthy Beetroot Chickpea Salad recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!