Community
Print
Nisha Vora, known for running the Rainbow Plant Life YouTube channel, recently shared a video titled “Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, so good you’ll make it all summer long.” In this vibrant recipe, she brings together Middle Eastern flavors and wholesome vegan staples to create a dish that’s both refreshing and satisfying – perfect for summer lunches, BBQs, or an easy weeknight dinner.
Vora is a Harvard-educated lawyer turned vegan chef, author, and content creator. After leaving her legal career, she founded Rainbow Plant Life, where she shares inventive plant-based recipes, cooking tutorials, and lifestyle tips.
In her recent video, Vora demonstrates how to transform simple pantry staples into a Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad that’s packed with protein and fiber, yet easy to prepare.
Read more: This Peanut Miso Chickpea Salad Sandwich Is A Protein-Packed Vegan Lunch
The ultimate summer salad
Chickpeas are a staple in diets all over the world, as they’re cheap, versatile, and packed with protein. In this salad, they are served alongside onion, cucumber, fresh mint, and a number of carefully chosen spices.
Aleppo pepper, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, imparts a gentle heat and subtle fruitiness to the salad. Unlike conventional chili flakes, it offers a nuanced spice that complements rather than overpowers. Preserved lemons – lemons fermented in salt and their own juice – bring a tart and savory dimension to the dish. She also uses lemon juice and sumac to flavor the chickpeas.
Tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, creates the creamy base for a whipped dressing that adds richness and contrast to the bright and crunchy vegetables. Vora whips it with lemon juice, maple syrup, and ice water until it turns fluffy and smooth – making it ideal for spreading on a plate as a base for the salad. “So freaking good, I would literally just eat spoonfuls of this,” she says.
You can find more of Nisha Vora’s recipes on the Rainbow Plant Life YouTube channel.
Read more: ‘I Turned My Kitchen Into A Vegan Café For My Friends’
