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
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.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.
*The text, recipe and photography of this post was updated Aug. 2017.
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This has been my go-to salad all summer. I double the recipe and use regular may for one batch and vegan mayo for my husband and we have salads for lunch for days (I’d say a week but honestly, the salad is so tasty that we gobble it up). Great way to eat a lot of veggies and be filled up!
Hiii Laurel! Thank you for coming back, leaving a note and your five star rating! No doubt this is such a hearty salad that is completely tasty and filling! SO happy to hear you and hubs are enjoying the recipe (love that versatility too!!
This was amazing!! I used what I had on hand: cucumber, carrot, bag of little red, orange and yellow peppers, garbanzos and sprouted brown rice. I was taking it to an outdoor potluck so I didn’t want to chance the mayo sitting out in 90 degree temperatures, so I substituted 1/4 cup of high quality olive oil for the mayo and it was the first salad bowl that was empty! YUM! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Hello Ellen! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! Isn’t it such a versatile salad? Thank you for your tip on the mayo sub! So happy to hear it was a hit!
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