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Greek Salad with Chickpeas and Feta

A classic Greek village salad of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper and olives, made into a proper lunch with chickpeas and feta. No lettuce, no cooking, 14g of fibre a bowl, and ready in 15 minutes.

Lunch

15

Serves 2

A bowl of Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, olives, chickpeas and a slab of feta sprinkled with oregano

Ingredients

  • 300g/10½oz ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • Half a cucumber (about 200g/7oz), halved lengthways and thickly sliced
  • 1 small red onion (about 60g/2oz), thinly sliced
  • 1 green pepper (bell pepper, about 120g/4oz), deseeded and sliced into rings
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) tin (can) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed (about 240g/8½oz drained)
  • 40g/1½oz/⅓ cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 80g/3oz feta, in one piece or roughly crumbled
  • 4 tsp (20ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Black pepper, and a pinch of salt only if needed

Method

  1. Put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with the vinegar and leave for 5 minutes while you prepare everything else. This softens its raw bite.
  2. Put the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, chickpeas and olives in a large bowl.
  3. Add the onion with its vinegar, the olive oil, half the oregano and a good grind of black pepper. Toss gently. Taste before adding any salt, as the feta and olives are already salty.
  4. Divide between 2 bowls and top with the feta. Sprinkle with the rest of the oregano and drizzle over any juices from the bottom of the bowl.
  5. Best eaten the same day. For a packed lunch, keep the dressing and feta separate and add them just before eating, and keep it in the fridge.

Why it works

A bowl has about 17g of protein and 14g of fibre for 448 calories. That is nearly half of the 30g of fibre a day recommended for adults in the UK (US guidance is 25 to 38g, depending on age and sex), with no cooking at all.

Why add chickpeas. A traditional Greek salad, horiatiki, is a side dish. Chickpeas add plant protein and fibre, which turns it into a filling lunch that should keep you going until dinner.

The Mediterranean basics. Tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, olives and pulses are central to the Mediterranean diet, one of the most studied eating patterns for heart health. Most of the fat here is the monounsaturated kind from the oil and olives.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar and menopause. With about 31g of carbohydrate, lots of fibre and protein, and no bread, it is a lunch unlikely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. Feta adds calcium, which matters for bone health after menopause.

Salt. Feta and olives are both salty, which is why the dressing has no added salt. Vegetarian only if the feta is made without animal rennet; many brands are, so check the label. For another no-cook lunch, try the tuna, white bean and red onion salad, or for a warm one, the halloumi, lentil and roasted vegetable salad.