Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing is a delicious way to eat more veggies! Perfect for a summer picnic, potluck or work week lunch, it’s packed with healthy and hearty ingredients. Vegan + Optional GF
Is it garbanzo beans or chickpeas? I can’t seem to reconcile this.
Garbanzo summer salad with creamy dill dressing is on my list of favorite salads. Make ahead, check. Healthy, check. Delicious, check. Hang out in the fridge for a few days, check. Hearty, check…. check… check….
The texture, flavor, and color of this salad is fantastic; it’s chewy, crunchy and creamy. A beautiful salad, it makes an impressive presentation wherever you serve it, as it is always well received at gatherings, especially in the summer.
The addition of wheat berries yields a nutty flavor and adds a good chewy texture. I’ve made this salad with and without wheat berries. If you are looking for a gluten free option, brown rice or quinoa are delicious options.
You’re going to love this dairy free, creamy dill dressing. It’s light, garlicky, lemony and loaded with fresh dill. A hint of apple cider vinegar sours it up a bit, but not too much. It’s just enough to bring out the sweet flavors of the carrots and red bell peppers.
Not only does this salad taste delicious, it provides fantastic health benefits! The parsley alone is heart healthy, loaded with antioxidants, and is protective against rheumatoid arthritis and certain carcinogens. The garbanzo beans (AKA chickpeas), provide a whole host of benefits.
Packed with fiber and protein, I love these beans because they keep me fuller longer, so there’s less of a chance that I’ll snack on something later that may not be as healthful for me (like these)!
I hope you’ll try this. Take it to your next pot luck or family gathering. It’s worth the effort!
Garbanzo Summer Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing
Hearty, delicious, healthy and full of vibrant veggies, this salad will keep you full and satisfied! A perfect addition to your healthy lifestyle! Vegan + Optionally GF
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1/2 C Wheat Berries for GF try Quinoa or Brown Rice
- 1 3/4 C Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 15 oz Can of Garbanzo Beans rinsed
- 1 C Red Bell Pepper about 1 diced
- 1 C Green Bell Pepper about 1 diced
- 1/2 C Cucumber skin on, about 1 diced
- 3 C Carrots medium, about 1 diced
- 1/4 C Purple Onion about 1/2 diced
- 1/4 C Parsley chopped
- 2 Tbs Chives chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 C Vegenaise or Just Mayo
- 1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced, about 1 tsp
- 1 tsp Fresh Dill chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Bring water to a boil, then drop in wheat berries with a pinch of salt. Stir once, turn heat to med-low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat, cover with lid and let sit covered for 15 minutes. Stir, place in refrigerator to chill.
- Prep all veggies by dicing/chopping and place in large mixing bowl.
For the Dressing:
- Place all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk with a fork or mini whisk. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
To Assemble:
Combine all the veggies, herbs and chilled wheat berries. Pour dressing over the salad and stir ingredients until evenly distributed. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Refrigerate for up to three days.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from PCC Natural Markets.
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used wild rice instead of brown rice loved it it was a huge hit at church luncheon they went ape over it
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!