Chickpea (Chana) Cucumber Salad with a Greek yogurt dressing is a protein-packed salad recipe that comes together in 10 minutes. It tastes even better after being refrigerated for a while, making it a perfect make-ahead option.
If you enjoyed my chickpea cucumber salad and beetroot chickpea salad, try this high-protein-packed Kabuli Chana Salad with Greek yogurt dressing. It's perfect as a side dish, a healthy snack, or a meal on its own. It's also an excellent choice for picnics or potlucks.
When you first mix this salad, the dressing will be quite thick. However, after sitting in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, it will thin out slightly, making it even more delicious. It's one of my family's favorite salad recipes. Also, be sure to check out my Greek yogurt dip recipe.
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are referred to as chole, Kabuli chana, white chana, or simply chana in Hindi.
If you like chickpeas, then check out more Chickpea Recipes
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Ingredients
- Chickpeas: aka garbanzo beans; You can use canned or cooked chickpeas. If using canned, then drain and rinse it. I have cooked dried beans using Instant pot chickpeas with the soak method.
- Cucumber: I used Persian cucumber, but English cucumbers work just as well.
- Onion: red onion works best in salads, so that's what I used.
- Greek yogurt: I used Greek yogurt, but if you don't have it, you can substitute it with thick homemade curd or hung curd. Alternatively, you can use a combination of sour cream and thick yogurt for a similar taste and texture.
- Herbs: I used cilantro, but feel free to substitute dill, parsley, or any other fresh herbs you have on hand.
- Seasoning: salt, black pepper, cumin powder.
How to Make Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Whisk ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice (or vinegar), 1 garlic clove (minced), ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Add 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas, ½ cup diced cucumber, ¼ cup onion (chopped), ¼ cup coriander leaves (finely chopped), and toss the salad to combine. Adjust the seasoning at this stage.
This chana salad recipe is best enjoyed after sitting in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve cucumber yogurt salad with most main dishes, but it pairs exceptionally well with:
- Soups like tomato soup, butternut squash soup.
- Rice dishes like paneer pulao, peas pulao.
Tips & Variations
- More Veggies: You can add hearty veggies of your choice, like boiled sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and avocado.
- Fresh Herbs: You can also replace cilantro with dill leaves, mint, or parsley.
- Sour Cream: If you have sour cream at home, try replacing two tablespoons of Greek yogurt with sour cream.
- No Greek Yogurt: If you don't have Greek yogurt at home, take regular yogurt, pour it into a muslin cloth, and drain the whey for 30 minutes above the kitchen sink.
- Protein: This chana salad with yogurt dressing is already rich in plant-based protein, but for an extra nutritional boost, you can also add air fryer tofu or air fryer paneer.
- Nuts & Seeds: You can also add roasted nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, and seeds such as flax, sunflower, pumpkin, or hemp seeds for added crunch and nutrition.
Storage Suggestions
Chickpea Yogurt Salad can be refrigerated in an airtight glass container for up to 2 days.
Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas (chana) (or 1 15 oz can)
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- ¼ cup coriander leaves (cilantro) chopped
Yogurt Dressing
- ½ cup greek yogurt (or hung curd)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (or vinegar)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime juice (or vinegar), garlic, cumin powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the chickpeas, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and toss the salad to combine. Adjust the seasoning at this stage.
- This chana salad recipe is best enjoyed after sitting in the refrigerator for at-least 1-2 hours.
Video
Notes
Tips & Variations:
- More Veggies: You can add hearty veggies of your choice, like boiled sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and avocado.
- Fresh Herbs: You can also replace cilantro with dill leaves, mint, or parsley.
- Sour Cream: If you have sour cream at home, try replacing two tablespoons of Greek yogurt with sour cream.
- No Greek Yogurt: If you don't have Greek yogurt at home, take regular yogurt, pour it into a muslin cloth, and drain the whey for 30 minutes above the kitchen sink.
- Protein: This chana salad with yogurt dressing is already rich in plant-based protein, but for an extra nutritional boost, you can also add sautéed tofu or paneer.
- Nuts & Seeds: You can also add roasted nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, and seeds such as flax, sunflower, pumpkin, or hemp seeds for added crunch and nutrition.
Nutrition
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Olivia
Made this for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious! My cilantro in the fridge was not looking the best so I ended up using dried dill and dried cilantro instead and it was still perfect.
Bhavana Patil
Hi Olivia, Thank you for sharing your feedback and glad you liked it. Yes dill works great as well.