Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (Jain)
Jain-friendly Mediterranean chickpea salad with cucumber, tomato, capsicum, and a lemon-oregano dressing. No onion, no garlic. Ready in about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 can chickpeas 15 oz / 400 g, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (about 1½ cups)
- 1 medium cucumber diced; scoop seeds if watery
- 1 cup tomato diced, about 1 medium
- 1 medium capsicum red or yellow bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup black olives optional, sliced
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves or parsley, chopped
Dressing
- 3 tbsp lemon juice fresh, about 1 large lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Optional topping
- ¼ cup paneer or feta crumbled; skip for vegan
Instructions
Prep
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat them dry on a kitchen towel so the dressing clings instead of turning watery.
- Dice the cucumber, tomato, and capsicum into small, even pieces. Slice the olives if using. Chop the herbs.
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper until combined. Taste and adjust salt or lemon.
Toss and serve
- Add chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, capsicum, olives, and herbs to a wide bowl. Pour over most of the dressing and toss gently.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes. Taste, add remaining dressing if needed, and top with crumbled paneer or feta if using. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Notes
Jain note: This recipe skips onion, garlic, ginger, and root vegetables. Do not add hing to the Mediterranean dressing; it muddies the flavor.
Texture: Pat chickpeas dry. Seed watery cucumbers if packing ahead.
Make-ahead: Store chopped vegetables and dressing separately up to 1 day. Toss before serving. Dressed salad is best within 24 hours.
Vegan: Skip paneer/feta. The base recipe is already vegan.
Spice: Add finely chopped green chili for heat without garlic.
Serving: Pair with sprouted moong salad or a quinoa bowl for a fuller Jain lunch.
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