Garbanzo Bean Salad Recipe

Just in time for summer is this garbanzo bean salad  recipe. It is great for hot summer days when you don't want to cook and you want to eat something light anyway, because of the heat. This bean salad recipe comes to the rescue. Because of the beans, it's filling without meat added. It's a great meal idea for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

I came up with this garbanzo salad recipe because my husband loves Greek salads. He always orders them at restaurants. I figured I could recreate something similar. It's a salad. It can't be that difficult! I wanted to create a healthy salad recipe, too, because my husband is diabetic and we could both stand to lose a little weight.

So here it is- garbanzo bean salad recipe for 4 servings:

Chickpea Salad Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  
• 1 cup cherry, grape or roma tomatoes, cut in halves
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced red or green bell pepper (optional, but I love them)
• 1 seedless English cucumber, diced (regular cucumber works in a pinch)
• 10 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
• 2 oz. garlic herb Feta or Asiago cheese (your choice, plain feta is good, too)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tablespoons quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, preferably fresh
  
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon each: cracked pepper and garlic salt

Just mix all the ingredients for the garbanzo bean salad recipe together and refrigerate at least a couple of hours before eating. Tastes even better if you chill it overnight. Delicious!

If I'm out of vinegar or olive oil, I just use 1/4 cup of Italian salad dressing as a substitute for both. Creamy Italian dressing tastes good, too.

I hope after reading the garbanzo beans nutrition facts, you will try at least one of the garbanzo bean recipes. I don't think you will be disappointed.