Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing is a delicious and filling way to get more veggies in. It holds well in the fridge, making this an ideal salad for meal prep. vegan + optional gluten free
I’m hearing talk of fall on the Interwebs this week. And, I was at a kitchen store last weekend and saw a dinning table set with a Thanksgiving theme. I could hardly believe my eyes.
For now, I’m going to relish in all that summer has to offer and the remaining month we have to enjoy it. After-all, the fall equinox isn’t until September 22.
Signs of late summer are just arriving at the farmers market too. With fresh corn, stone fruit, peppers and heirloom tomatoes just recently making a showing. I’m pickling, freezing and canning like mad. I feel like I’m eating everything!
I first shared this hearty salad during my earliest days of blogging, back in 2014. Its photography was in need of an update and I tweaked the recipe just a bit too by adding a touch more lemon juice and dill.
Do you call these little peas garbanzo beans or chickpeas? I can’t seem to reconcile this. Before I started blogging, I only knew them as garbanzo. Funny name. Now, I mostly refer to them as chickpeas.
Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing is one of my go-to favorite late summer salads because it can hang out in the fridge for days, meaning I can meal prep on Sunday and have it ready for lunch for most of the following week. It has loads of texture with delightfully chewy wheat berries, crunchy carrots, bell peppers, cucumber and creamy chickpeas. The dressing has a bit of garlic, lemon and dill and is not overwhelming. It’s just enough to add a bit of background and interest to allow the flavors of the veggies to shine.
I keep wheat berries stocked in my pantry for use in salads, stews or soup. They have a nutty flavor and chewy texture and add whole grain fiber to my diet.
Wheat berries take about an hour to cook – soaked or unsoaked, although the cook time is flexible depending on the preferred amount of chewiness. Soaking only reduces the cook time slightly, but it is said that grains are easier to digest if presoaked. If I remember, I toss my grains in a jar of water before I go to bed.
I purchase wheat berries from bulk bins, making sure to buy organic hard red winter wheat berries, not pearled wheat berries. The pearled variety cook faster, but to achieve the added connivence the outer bran has been removed, which reduces the fiber benefit.
This salad is completely adjustable to taste. Need a gluten-free option or simply an alternative that’s already in the larder? Try subbing in cooked quinoa or brown rice instead of wheat berries.
Want more cucumber? Reduce the amount of carrots and add more refreshing cukes.
Need more creamy in your life? Add a few more tablespoons of mayo to the mix.
Need more herbs…
…you get the idea!
Packed with fiber and protein, I love this recipe because it keeps me full and satisfied long into the afternoon. This means there’s less of a chance I’ll snack on something later that may not be as healthful for me, like the proverbial Kettle chips (OMGeee)!
I hope you’ll give this a go!
Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
This salad is completely adjustable to taste. Need a gluten-free option or simply an alternative that's already in the larder? Try subbing in cooked quinoa or brown rice instead of wheat berries. Want more cucumber? Reduce the amount of carrots by 1 C for example, and add more refreshing cukes or peppers. If you looove dill, add a few more tsp to the mix. Hearty, delicious, healthy and full of vibrant veggies. This salad holds beautifully for up to three days making it ideal for meal prep. It travels with ease too for picnics, potlucks or packed lunches. Vegan + Optionally GF
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1/2 C (135g) Wheat Berries* (see note) Hard Red Winter. For GF try Quinoa or Brown Rice
- 2 C (500g) Water
- Big Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 C (252g) Cooked Garbanzo (Chickpea) Beans (or 1, 15 oz can, rinsed)
- 1 1/2 C (175g) Red Bell Pepper about 1 large pepper, diced
- 1 1/2 C (205g) Green Bell Pepper about 1 large pepper, diced
- 1 C (145g) Cucumber skin on, about 1 medium diced
- 3 C (370g) Carrots cut into small bite size pieces
- 1/4 C (30g) Purple Onion finely diced
- 1/4 C (10g) Curly Parsley chopped
- 2 Tbs Chives chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 C (75g) High Quality Mayonnaise I use Just Mayo
- 1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Garlic minced, about 2 medium cloves
- 2 tsp Fresh Dill chopped
- 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
-
In a small sauce-pot with a tight fitting lid, add the water, wheat berries and pinch of salt. Stir once, bring to a boil. Cover the wheat berries with a lid, turn heat to med-low and simmer for about one hour. Start checking the berries at about 40 minutes to see if they are as soft as you prefer. If not, keep them cooking another 15-20 minutes. In the mean time, prep all the veggies and make the dressing (see below). Drain the wheat berries, spoon into a bowl and refrigerate to cool before adding it to the veggies, about 30 minutes.
For the Dressing:
-
Place the mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small mixing bowl and whisk with a fork or mini whisk. Set aside.
To Assemble:
-
Combine all the veggies, herbs and chilled wheat berries. Pour dressing over the salad and stir ingredients until evenly distributed. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and more herbs if desired. Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving so the flavors have time to marry. Garnish with lemon wedges, dill and parsley. Refrigerate for up to three days.
Recipe Notes
*Wheat Berries: I've read soaking grains overnight make them easier to digest. I've not committed it to habit yet, but I've cooked wheat berries soaked and unsoaked. The cooking time only varies slightly. Be sure to start checking the wheat berries after about 40 minutes of cooking for texture. It's really up to taste as to how far you want to take them - chewier (less time) or softer (more time).
Recipe adapted from PCC Natural Markets.
*The text, recipe and photography of this post was updated Aug. 2017.
If you make this recipe, or any others on Vanilla And Bean, be sure to post it to Instagram and tag @VanillaAndBean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Also, if you like my content, please consider sharing it with three friends and/or family. Thank you!
My husband astounded me recently by suggesting we go meatless one day a week. I’m all for it but after agreeing I realized that meatless main meals require more thought and planning than my standard repertoire. Fortunately both quinoa and chickpeas were already favorites around here so this good looking salad fits right in. BTW cooking quinoa and dried chickpeas in an Instant Pot is a breeze. I always keep ready to use bowls in the fridge.
Hi Mandy! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note… so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. Quinoa is such a delicious sub in this salad. I love it too! How exciting that your hubs approached you regarding meatless one day a week! Hooray!
Looks amazing. We are not a dill family. Has anyone tried a different dressing?
Hi Tracey! The dill is a major flavor contributor to this salad… but you can leave it out if you like, use the dressing as is and if you want add any other herbs you prefer. Parsley, thyme… I hope this helps!
I have made this salad two weeks in a row now for my work lunches (it makes about 4 meal salads). So delicious. I put each item in my Cuisinart and gave it a course chop ( I am a little lazy, but it made everything bite sized quickly!). I also added dried cranberries and pepitas the first week. Second week, I added cottage cheese. Colorful, FLAVORFUL, healthy, and delicious. A great go-to summer lunch at work! It makes me feel like I am sticking to my healthy eating goals just by looking at it!
Love reading your note, Kari! Aren’t the colors so vibrant? Way to go you on meal prepping and making quick work of this salad! Hooray!
I love this salad!!! Delicious! For those of you who asked, yes, this is very much like coctco’s Ancient Grain Salad. Thanks for sharing the recipe
Thank you so much, Joann! I’ve never had Costco’s Ancient Grain Salad.. (or seen it), but thank you for sharing that it is very much like it!
What a gorgeous salad my friend. Perfect for summer. When in doubt, I either add chickpeas or lentils. This salad is so my jam. And dill.. I planted some this year and surprisingly I still have some in my backyard. LOVE the dressing.
Cheers!
Pass me a plate, please! I adore salads made with chickpeas and this is a BEAUT! The fresh herbs and all that bright color are calling my name! Love the new photos, my friend! Just gorgeous! xo
Chickpeas FTW! Thaaank you Annie! xo
As usual, this is such a beautiful dish, Traci! This salad is making me don’t feel quite so hasty about the arrival of fall, although I’m so ready for cooler weather! And, I want to drink that dill dressing! :)
Hehe… drink that dill dressing! I’m so with you, Izzy! I want to put dill on everything this time of year! :D
Hi, Traci! I hear you about trying to hang on to the summer and enjoy every bit of it. One store here in Indiana already has Christmas decorations out! REALLY?!?!?! I love the idea of this recipe. I fix school lunches for the neighbor kids and want to try this for them. It is so full of protein that hopefully it keeps them satisfied the whole afternoon. Thanks so much for what you do!
Whaaa? Christmas? Unreal! I’m sooo with you Claudia.. lets hold on to summer goodness while it’s here, now! And what a kind heart, preparing lunch for neighbor kiddos.. I hope they and you enjoy this! Thank you for your kind words, too. I appreciate it so much!
This salad is as beautiful as it is nourishing! I think you did a fantastic job with the updated images, although I’m sure the old ones were much better than you thought they were.
I don’t like to rush the seasons either but it’s been cool here the past couple of days, hinting that fall is on the way, and I’m definitely not complaining about it. The humidity here is brutal!
Thank you so much Sarah! We’re our own worse critics, right? Hooray for cooler weather! There’s a change here too.. much cooler nights and I’m with you on no complaining – I do love fall. But our markets continue to brim with late summer produce and I’m lovin’ all the corn right now! Hooray! Oh that southern humidity. I know it well… you could cut it with a knife it’s so thick! ish…
Hey Traci! I really feel the same about that late summer. It seems as if it had just begun. But the evenings and mornings are getting chilly already and you see autumn clothes and shoes all around here. Anyway, this salad looks so good- colorful and healthy- and I love dill also. I will make it soon and enjoy the “rest of the summer”… Oh, and we call the chickpeas Kichererbsen- that would be “giggle peas”. That is the funniest name, isn’t it?
Greetings from Christine
Hi Christine! hehe… giggle peas! I love it! Indeed, the evenings and mornings are already getting chilly… the pumpkins are showing their beautiful orange color in the fields and the morning fog is starting to hang around. A sure sign fall is on the way! I hope you enjoy the salad!
When the recipe says to cook the chickpeas…if they come out of a can are they already cooked?
Hi Pamela! Chickpeas from a can are already cooked, yes. But you can cook your own from dried, or use chickpeas from a can. Either way, you need 1 1/2 cups. I hope this helps!
Thank you. I thought that was the case but wanted to confirm. Can’t wait to have this for dinner tonight! :)
Sounds wonderful! We have some cucumbers coming up in the garden, so this would be a great way to use some. I notice the recipe says 3 cups carrots, is that correct? It just seems like a lot in comparison to the amounts for the other veggies. Just wondering. Glad you enjoyed the eclipse. It was cloudy here in the midwest so we really didn’t get to see much (sigh).
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for your note. So sorry to hear you were unable to see the eclipse. We were concerned too due to the marine layer of fog… but it stayed low enough so that we could actually see the 90% here on Whidbey. Yes, three cups of carrots! But.. here’s the thing, you can adjust the veggies proportionally! So instead of three cups of carrots, use maybe two, and add another cup of cucumbers! It works out to whatever veggie you have an abundance of (in my case, carrots :D – and in your case, cucumbers!). It’s completely adjustable! It’s such a delicious salad and is versatile to your taste (or whatever you have an abundance of at the moment!). I hope this helps.
Way to soon for fall, Traci – we’re getting a heat wave of 105 degrees temps here next week. So this salad will be perfect to make. Love how fresh and healthy it is – pretty colors too! Also, I always call them chickpeas – since that’s such a cute name.
Traci this looks absolutely heavenly! I could eat the entire salad myself. :)
I’m with ya Kevin! :D Thaaank you!
This is the perfect summer salad to keep in rotation. I love chickpeas in anything and that dressing sounds like the perfect balance for everything. This will be coming with me to a Labor Day party. I definitely enjoyed the eclipse-the glasses really made the viewing awesome. I’m with you…I’ll hold on to summer until the last sweet day! Pumpkins can wait!
Oh my, yes, the pumpkins! The fields are full of em’ here and I’m thinking, already? But it’s getting close to time! I hope you enjoy the recipe, Jean!
Love that dilly dressing! And ALL these late Summer veggies. Because yes, it’s still Summer! Let’s savor it. Beautiful new photos, Traci. Enjoy your weekend! XOXO!
Savoring summer with you, Liz! How about a picnic at the beach? xo
Unfortunately I missed this recipe the first time around Traci, so I’m so glad you’ve re-shared! It looks light, healthy and flavorful! I bet the flavors get better each day too. I love that dill dressing. I certainly will be giving it a go! Happy weekend!
Hooray! I hope you enjoy it Mary Ann! I can see this on a picnic at the beach… and yes, that dill! :D
used wild rice instead of brown rice loved it it was a huge hit at church luncheon they went ape over it
hehe.. Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Richard. Wild rice sounds just fabulous!
This looks close to the Ancient Grains salad that Costco has in the deli. I was looking for a copycat recipe. Anyone familiar with that salad?
I was thinking the same thing!
I have to keep adding water to the wheat berries so far its over 5 cups, wouldn’t it be easier just to start out with that or even more?
Hi Pamela! I’m sorry you’ve had to add more water to your wheat berries – wow 5 cups! I’ve not experienced this before. Since you drain the wheat berries, you can start with any water amount necessary. I cook wheat berries according to the package directions of Bob’s Red Mill: http://www.bobsredmill.com/hard-red-wheat-berries.html
I have accusimmer so I know I was at the right tempter and I also have bobs red mill wheat berries and it used all 5 cups. minute
Made this as a side to Italian sausage on grlll. The only things I did different was use quinoa and I used cannellini beans. (Hubby hates garbanzos! ). It was a hit!! My five year old couldn’t get enough.
Hi Colleen! Oooh, I love the subs and hooray for your 5 YO! Thank you for sharing! :D
I made this today to go with pulled pork. This is amazing. We loved everything about it. I used Quinoa because that is what I had and it was so delicious!!!! Thank you for a great salad!! Will make again and again.
I saw a picture of this gorgeous salad on Fridgg and I just had to have the recipe! I’ll definitely be taking this along to the next cookout I go to this summer. I’ll be sure to Instagram and tag you – pinning for now.
Hey Jen! Thanks so much! I hope y’all enjoy the recipe as much as we do. It makes a perfect salad for a cookout too! Looking forward to seeing it on IG! :D
Loving everything about this salad and the dressing sounds amazing! A must try! Pinned
Hi Sommer! Thanks for your pin! I hope you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey Traci!
I call them chick peas, and I love them so much. A salad just isn’t complete until I’ve added chick peas and artichoke hearts. This looks delicious.
Pepper
P.S. I have a silly question :) How come some people have their pictures next to their comments and some don’t? Just curious.
Hi Pepper! I think if you sign up for a gravatar (http://www.gravatar.com), then your choice of picture will show up when you comment. :)
Hi Pepper! Ummmmm, yummm I love artichokes and chick peas too! :D
I whipped up a variation of this with minor modifications. It’s resting in the refrigerator for tonight when I will add Walla Walla sweet, chopped tomato, and the parsley and chives from our herb patches. The sample my mom and I tried last night was DELISH!
Ohhh, Lynne! I like your additions! The tomatoes are coming in now so this sounds like a delicious way to use them! So glad you liked the base of the recipe!
This salad looks sooo delicious Traci!!! I am definitely making this for lunch today! I wish I had vegenaise, but I will just use a vegan vinaigrette. Where did you buy it?
Thank you, Jessica! I buy vegenaise at my local Co-Op. I’ve also seen it at Whole Foods markets and a local ‘health food’ store. I’m thinking a silken tofu might be a good sub with a hint of apple cider vinegar and a bunch of dill. Enjoy!
Hi Traci! I’m looking for something to make for my plane ride tomorrow that won’t spoil and this just might be it! It looks filling, and flavourful. Where I live they’re called chickpeas, so I think it’s a regional thing. Whatever you call them, they’re may favourite bean! I love the beautifully composed photo of all the ingredients before mixing -I would be so proud of all of that chopping if I made that! Talk to you soon :)
Hi Allison! Depending on the length of your ride, this may just hold up, perhaps without the dressing added until you are ready to serve. Chopping is such a relaxing activity to me… if I am not under time constraints. Hope your trip is fabulous! Enjoy the west!! : )
I love chickpeas (or garbanzos haha) for their high protein content and their amazing taste. Can’t wait to try this! :)
I couldn’t agree more about chickpeas! Enjoy!
Traci – this looks great – love the picture of all the ingredients in the bowl – that’s a pretty shot. I’m growing dill this year so I have plenty on hand – will be making this healthy salad this weekend to make up for all the not so healthy stuff I eat on the 4th. Have a great holiday!
Hi Geraldine!
Thank you! I love dill. My sis is growing dill so I’ve been at her place pickin, regularly. Isn’t it so great to just go outside and pick what you need? Will you be canning more pickles? Seems like holiday time is good (ie junk) food time! I’ll be indulging a bit too! Wishing you a wonderful holiday!