This pretty little chickpea salad was lunch yesterday. I love bright and fresh meals that are easy on the wallet and the eyes.

I was this close to making another grilled cheese (someone please send help!!!) when I remembered I had a very resentful can of chickpeas sitting in the cupboard just dying to get played with.

Do your old canned goods pout at you the way mine do? It can be quite… disorienting!

So with a heavy heart (I do so love me a grilled cheese!) and an adventurous spirit, I cracked open that can of chickpeas and got to it – Greek style!

I gave the chickpeas a quick rinse (you want all that bean goo gone!), chopped up some red onion, bell pepper, olives, cucumber, parsley and feta, and tied it all together with a bright and briny olive vinaigrette.

This was heaven in a bowl… go get some!

Greek Chickpea Salad – Baker by Nature

Yields 6 small servings

For the salad:

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 english cucumber, quartered length wise then cut into small chunks

1 very small red onion, diced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped (I usually use a very generous 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and toss well.

For the dressing:

1/4 cup kalamata olives

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons parsley

1 teaspoon honey

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/4 olive oil

In a blender combine all the ingredients and pulse until smooth and all the ingredients have liquified. Pour over the salad and lightly toss.