Corn & Chickpea Fiesta Salad
This corn and chickpea salad is the ultimate summer recipe. This healthy garbanzo bean salad packed with cucumber, tomato and peppers, and tossed in a fresh cilantro lime dressing for a light, yet satisfying meal, or side dish.
Why I love this chickpea salad
This easy, chickpea salad recipe is perfect for a healthy summer lunch – filled with cucumber, tomatoes and corn, with a cilantro lime dressing. It’s a flavorful vegan meal, but it’s also great for a healthy dish to pass at barbecues and summer gatherings.
For the past several days it’s been 90 plus degrees here in Angers (the city where we live in France) and the last thing I want to do is create extra heat in our non-air-conditioned apartment.
Normally the weather is pretty mild here – we even had a few days of snow last winter – but these last few days have been crazy-hot. Therefore, I’ve been on a mission to find recipes and ideas for cold salads or anything else that doesn’t need to be cooked.
This summer garbanzo bean salad definitely beats the heat, and it has one of my favorite flavor combinations – cilantro and lime.
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Chickpeas – I use canned chickpeas for this recipe, but if you want to prepare your own from dried garbanzo beans, you can learn more here.
- Corn – This recipe is great for summer corn-from-the-cob, but it also works just fine with frozen corn.
- Lime – Fresh is always best for citrus, but bottled will work in a pinch. You can also swap out some of the lime for other citrus like lemon or oranges if you don’t have enough lime juice.
- Red onion – You can swap this for another type of onion.
- Cucumber – I recommend using an seedless cucumber for this recipe, but if you don’t have that, make sure you remove the seeds to prevent the salad from getting watery.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this garbanzo bean salad
Make your dressing. In a medium bowl (or in a large glass measuring cup), whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Chop your ingredients & rinse your chickpeas. I like to make sure I get off all the excess aquafaba, and I usually leave my chickpeas in the strainer until I’m ready to add them to the salad.
Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. I like to salt my cucumber to prevent excess water in my salad, but if you’re in a rush or don’t feel like it, that’s completely okay.
SAVE the chickpea LIQUID!
It’s called aquafaba, and it’s normally used as an egg white substitute, but it makes a great swap for heavy whipping cream in my dairy free mousse. It’s also great to use in cocktails like my cherry vodka sour.
FAQS and tips for making a chickpea salad
Chickpeas are a great in salads, curry dishes, and pasta. They can also be roasted in the oven for a crunch snack or made into hummus for a creamy dip!
This salad should stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, but always use your best judgment.
Yes, canned chickpeas are already cooked and preserved in water. Be sure to drain the liquid (or save it as an egg white substitute) and rinse before eating.
Yes. They are the same thing, just a different name based on different languages. They can also be referred to as chi chi beans.
More chickpea recipes:
More dairy free salad recipes:
- Kale caesar salad
- Strawberry poppyseed salad
- Kale and Brussels sprouts salad
- Mexican street corn salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups corn kernels
- 2 15- ounce cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cups quartered grape tomatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red onion finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 English cucumber chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup lime juice 4 tablespoons
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the salad ingredients in a big bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and stir until everything is mixed well.
- Refrigerate until serving or at least for a half an hour to let the flavors blend.
