Ready in just 15 minutes, this hearty broccoli chickpea salad makes a delicious weekday lunch. With crisp-tender florets, protein-packed chickpeas, and a lemony vinaigrette, it's a satisfying, refreshing meal that will keep you full until dinner. For added crunch and complexity, we toss in a handful of pine nuts and a generous amount of parsley leaves and scallions (you can switch those up depending on the nuts and herbs you have on hand). It's a dish that gets better the longer it sits, so you can prep it the night before and let the flavors blend in the fridge until lunchtime.
Salad Ingredients and Helpful Swaps
Broccoli: This recipe calls for four cups of broccoli florets, which you'll steam until crisp-tender. Fresh broccoli will have the best texture, but you can also use frozen; cook it straight from the freezer and check it after 3 minutes instead of five.
Chickpeas: Nutrient-dense chickpeas are one of our favorite pantry staples. Rinsing them after draining removes the starchy liquid and excess salt—don't skip that step. If you don't have chickpeas, swap in another canned bean like cannellini or navy.
Pine nuts: Toasted pine nuts add warmth and richness to this simple salad. They're also a good source of heart-healthy fat, magnesium, and vitamin E. If you don't have pine nuts, swap in an equal amount of chopped toasted walnuts or roasted almonds instead.
Scallions: Five scallions might sound like a lot, but they do double duty in terms of both flavor and crunch here. When slicing, reserve the bottoms to regrow on your windowsill—you'll get another use out of something that would have ended up in the trash. No scallions handy? Toss in a bit of thinly sliced shallot or red onion instead.
Parsley: In addition to the scallions, half a cup of whole parsley leaves adds a grassy depth and pleasant bitterness to this salad. In place of parsley, use peppery arugula or even a handful of celery leaves.
Why We Love This Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Tangy and bright with just the right amount of sweetness, this lemon vinaigrette is one you might find yourself making again and again. Garlic and Dijon mustard bring a subtle bite, lemon zest and juice double down on citrus flavor, and honey keeps it all in balance. Try this vinaigrette on warm lentils, poached salmon, or a pile of radicchio.
Making This Broccoli Salad Ahead
You can make this salad up to one day ahead of serving. In fact, some extra time in the refrigerator allows the broccoli and chickpeas to soak up the dressing, making for an even more enjoyable dish. Just note that with time, the lemon juice will cause the broccoli to lose a bit of its bright green color.
Ingredients
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4 cups broccoli florets
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1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
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5 sliced scallions
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½ cup chopped fresh parsley
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⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
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1 minced clove garlic
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2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
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1 teaspoon honey
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1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
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¼ cup lemon juice
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6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
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Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.
Steam broccoli:
Steam broccoli florets until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Mix cooled broccoli with chickpeas:
Once cool, chop and combine with chickpeas, scallions, parsley, and pine nuts.
3. Make dressing:
In a bowl, combine garlic, mustard, honey, lemon zest and juice. Slowly add oil, whisking to emulsify, and season with salt and pepper.
Alternatively, combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, then seal and shake until emulsified.
Storing Leftover Broccoli Salad
You can store leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir it well before serving to redistribute the dressing and adjust with more lemon juice and salt as needed.
What to Serve Broccoli Chickpea Salad
This broccoli salad makes a light yet satisfying meal on its own, but you can serve it as a side dish with simple proteins like chicken, pork, or salmon. It would be fantastic with marinated chicken thighs or Martha's pan-seared salmon. For something crispier, try pairing it with these pork schnitzel medallions or our no-fail breaded chicken breasts.
