Lemon Herb Chickpea Pasta Salad (Printable)

Protein-packed pasta salad with chickpea pasta, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and zesty lemon dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 9 oz chickpea pasta

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large cucumber, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped

→ Fresh Herbs

05 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

→ Dressing

08 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
09 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
12 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Additions

14 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan)
15 - 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

# How-To:

01 - Prepare chickpea pasta according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - Combine diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, parsley, dill, and mint in a large mixing bowl.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until fully emulsified.
04 - Add cooled pasta to the vegetable mixture. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Fold in crumbled feta cheese and sliced olives if desired.
06 - Refrigerate salad for minimum 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chickpea pasta holds up beautifully and never gets mushy, even after days in the fridge
  • You can throw everything together in under 30 minutes and it actually tastes better the next day
02 -
  • Chickpea pasta can go from perfectly cooked to mushy in seconds, so set a timer for 2 minutes less than the package suggests and taste test
  • The dressing might taste too sharp when you first make it, but the pasta absorbs some of that acid as it sits
03 -
  • Taste a cherry tomato before adding it to the salad, because bland tomatoes will make the whole dish feel lackluster
  • Let the salad sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving if it has been in the fridge, the flavors pop more
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