Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Light and wonderfully flavorful, Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing is a fresh and tasty lunch or side dish!
Looking for a light lunch or a filling dinner option that is also hearty and healthy? Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing is an amazing combination of delicious garbanzo beans, fresh spinach, and a bright lime and cilantro dressing. It is a flavorful side dish or an easy dinner served with your favorite protein!
Gonzo for Garbanzo
I don’t think you’ll hear too many people say out loud that they’re gonzo for garbanzo beans, but in this house, it’s true! Blended to make hummus, mixed into pasta, or served as a side dish, there are many ways to love garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing is an incredibly flavorful way to enjoy these beans, from the light yet filling beans and an off-the-charts dressing that is bursting with lime, cilantro, spinach, onion, mustard, olive oil, and spices. One bite and you’ll want to serve this bean salad over rice, next to sliced smoked tofu, seasoned chicken breast, or with any of your favorite meals!
Enjoy more garbanzo bean dishes like delicious Italian Ceci Bean Salad and everyone’s favorite potluck must-have, Three Bean Salad!
Other Recipes to Serve with Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Even mentioning Super Creamy Hummus makes people start to drool a little so it’s a good thing this recipe makes a good amount so you can share!
- Cooked or raw, garbanzo beans, also called chickpeas, are tasty and if you bake them, like Honey Roasted Chickpeas, they become unbelievably crunchy little snacks!
Ingredients
Pantry Items: To make this salad, you will need a few drained and rinsed cans of garbanzo beans, granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil.
Veggies: For this dish, pick up fresh spinach, cilantro, a couple of limes, garlic, and sweet onion, like Walla Walla, Maui, or Vidalia.
Seasoning: To season this dish, you will need some ground cumin, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Garbanzo Bean Salad
STEP ONE: Add the spinach to a food processor, cover, and pulse until finely chopped.
STEP TWO: Scoop the chopped spinach into a large bowl and add the garbanzo beans and chopped onion.
STEP THREE: Combine the lime juice, Dijon mustard, cilantro, olive oil, sugar, garlic, and cumin in the food processor (you don’t need to rinse the bowl), cover, and pulse until well blended.
STEP FOUR: Pour the dressing over the beans and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then refrigerate the salad for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
- Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans before adding them to the salad. You can also make homemade garbanzo beans by soaking them overnight, draining them, and then simmering them in three times the amount of water. So, for 2 cups of beans, you would use 6 cups of water. Cook the garbanzo beans for up to 2 hours until soft. Then drain and allow the beans to cool completely before using them in this salad.
- Don’t let a dislike of cilantro prevent you from enjoying this great salad! Substitute the same amount of parsley for cilantro.
- Feel free to make the salad up to a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop fully. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy it for 4-5 days.
Are chickpea salads good for you?
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are loaded with good things everybody needs! Full of plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, garbanzo beans are also hearty and filling without making you feel heavy. The protein and fiber found in chickpeas can support digestion and blood sugar regulation while providing essential nutrients. Low or no-sodium options of canned chickpeas are easy to find as well which can further support a diet. Garbanzo beans are also wildly versatile, so you can enjoy them in salads, roasted and crunchy, or blended into deliciously appetizing dips!
Can you eat chickpeas raw in a salad?
When you purchase a can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, they have already been cooked and softened and can be added to any dish once drained and rinsed. The ease of using canned beans like these makes tossing together salads for a potluck or get-together a cinch! Making a pot of garbanzo beans isn’t difficult, however, and as stated above, they just need time to soak and simmer before using. Once your homemade beans are softened and have cooled, they can be added to any dish you like!
More Amazing Potluck Bean Dishes!
- Zesty Three Bean Salad
- Homemade Baked Beans
- White Bean Hummus
- Cowboy Caviar
- Quick and Easy Black Bean Salad
*This post originally posted on 10/05/2012.
Garbanzo Bean Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Equipment
- Food Processor (see note)
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach
- 30 ounces canned garbanzo beans drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- ¼ cup sweet onion peeled and finely diced
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- ¾ cup cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed (1 lime)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the spinach to the bowl of a food processor. Cover and pulse a few times until finely chopped. Transfer the spinach to a large mixing bowl, and add the garbanzo beans and onions.
- To the same food processor bowl (no need to rinse), add the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, mustard, sugar, olive oil, and cumin. Cover and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the dressing over the garbanzo bean salad. Stir until everything is evenly mixed and coated in dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to let the flavors develop. Enjoy this salad on its own or with your favorite meals.
WHAT IF YOU DON’T OWN A FOOD PROCESSOR? HOW DO YOU MODIFY THE RECIPE? CHOP FINELY??
You could finely chop the spinach by hand, it’ll just take longer. For the dressing, add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake, shake shake! Or put them in a blender and give it a whirl to emulsify everything together. 🙂
MMMMMMMMMMMM sounds yummy!
Ladies, ladies, ladies… you never cease to amaze me. Going to try this SOON! xo
This is a tangy, healthy, wonderful side, or “salad” for lunch. Loved it