This herby chickpea and orzo salad by Kate Friedman from 5-Ingredient Vegan Cooking is a fresh and easy summer dish. It’s light yet filling, thanks to protein-rich chickpeas and small, rice-shaped orzo pasta. Orzo looks like large grains of rice but is actually a quick-cooking pasta, making it perfect for fast, chilled salads like this one.

The salad is full of crunch and color, with chopped red onion and diced English cucumber. A simple dressing made from olive oil and lemon juice adds a bright, zesty flavor that ties it all together. Fresh basil is the main herb, but parsley or dill work well too. It’s a great way to use up any herbs you’ve picked up at the market.

Everything can be made ahead – cook the orzo, simmer the chickpeas, and let them cool before tossing it all together. The lemon zest adds a sharp, fresh finish. It’s simple, plant-based, and ideal for warm days when you want something quick and refreshing.

A refreshing summer salad

This salad is best cold is perfect for summer gatherings. Have fun with it and add herbs, seeds, and even extra veggies if you like.

herby chickpea and orzo salad with lemon and cucumber

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Ingredients

1 (14-oz [397-g]) can chickpeas drained and rinsed (see Recipe Notes)
1 cup (170 g) dry orzo pasta
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
½ red onion finely chopped
1 English cucumber diced (see Recipe Notes)
¼ cup (6 g) fresh basil washed and torn
Fresh parsley and/or dill optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon zest to taste

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, add the chickpeas and cover with water. Simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 25 minutes. Rinse the chickpeas with cold water and refrigerate until ready for use.
Cook the orzo pasta according to the package directions. Chill in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Prepare the dressing by combining the olive oil and lemon juice.
Assemble the salad by combining the orzo pasta, chickpeas, red onion, cucumber and lemon dressing. Top with the basil and any other fresh herbs, if desired. Add the salt, pepper and lemon zest, to taste.

Notes:

While you can use chickpeas directly from a can, I like to take the extra step of simmering them first as it makes them more tender.

If you’re food prepping this salad, make the chickpeas and orzo pasta in advance. That way they’ll have time to cool before you put it all together.

This recipe calls for an English cucumber. An English cucumber is a longer, slimmer version of the popular slicing cucumber. It’s typically wrapped in plastic which eliminates the need for wax on the skin. The seeds are underdeveloped, making them less bitter than their counterparts. If you can’t find an English cucumber, you can substitute a slicing cucumber. I recommend removing the skin before dicing it.

This recipe was republished with permission from 5‑Ingredient Vegan Cooking: 60 Approachable Plant‑Based Recipes with a Few Ingredients and Lots of Flavor by Kate Friedman (Page Street Publishing, 2021).

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