Meet this salad: your new favorite winter lunch. Just 7 ingredients, sweet, tangy, fresh, and hearty, yet healthy. You'll love this one.
I realize this post might not be the most timely. If you’re snowed in, chances are you’re not reaching for a cold salad – BUT it’s not snowing here and nothing will ever stop me from craving big bright salads for lunch. (If you need something hot today, click here, here, or here).
My lunch salads are what I would call “kitchen sink” style. I toss whatever veggies I happen to have into a bowl… often with chickpeas and a bit of feta cheese or a scoop of hummus. For crunch, I add toasted nuts and/or hemp seeds. And to bring it all together I almost always have a sweet element. This time: soft, juicy ripe pears. (If you don’t have pears, diced apples would work well here too!)
Pear & Arugula Chickpea Salad
- a few big handfuls of arugula
- 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped
- ¾ cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup diced cucumber or thinly sliced fennel
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- optional (but recommended): ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallion
- salt & pepper
- Whisk dressing together.
- In a small bowl toss the chickpeas with a bit of the dressing and some salt and pepper. This step is optional, but I find marinating the chickpeas for a few minutes helps them become more flavorful.
- Toss all of the salad ingredients together with as much dressing as you like. Season to taste. Add a bit of feta cheese, if you like.
Planning to make this tonight! Did you use whole-grain dijon or just regular (creamy style)?
We loved this salad – I swear, you can practically taste the nutrition! The addition of pear and cucumber were the perfect fresh complement to the chickpeas and pine nuts. Thank you for sharing this!
Excited to make it! Did you use whole grain dijon mustard or regular (creamy style) for the dressing?
We used creamy dijon since there’s so much other yummy texture in the salad, and thought it might emulsify better – but that’s just us! Curious what you think when you try it!
Hi Isa,
Sorry for my slow reply – yes, I also used creamy dijon, I usually only use grainy mustard if I’m spreading it on something. Creamy dijon is my go-to for salads… hope you liked this one!
Lovely photography and a great looking salad, I must give this one a go!
pears and chick peas i didnt think it would work before but not that the wife made it i’m sold
The best salads in our kitchen come about when we’re just rummaging through what we have laying around, too. Roasted veggies, fruits, nuts, and more often than not a poached egg 🙂
You make the best simple salads! This looks so delicious and looks amazing and easy to prepare !
This looks amazing and easy to prep! I’d definitely be giving this a try!
You make the best simple salads! This looks so delicious and nourishing!
I’m always trying to find a way to use the chick pea. I’ve also been obsessing over pears lately! Thanks for sharing!!
I like your lunch salad style and that white wine dijon dressing looks really good. It’s been too snowy here for me to be interested in salads alone but I may just add this one to my soup today.
I am loving this mix of pears, chickpeas, and cucumbers. Great textures and flavors. I will definitely be trying this out!
Despite all the snow in Boston, I crave the brightness and wholesomeness of this salad! It’s like a bowl full of sunshine and summer, which is much needed. Thank you for sharing!
I’m snowed in here but still having salads every single day! Pears and arugula is one of my favorite combinations ever!
I recently discovered the wonder of feta and hummus. Therefore, I can’t wait to try this salad. Btw… if those are Harry & David pears, OMGosh! Love those!
ha, yep, they are – the best! 🙂
I really like the idea of the dressing. I might use it with potatoes or even fish/chicken too!
yummy! I have some nice ripe pears in my fridge I need to use up.
This is so beautiful! I don’t know if I could eat it, mostly because it’s too pretty. Yumm! Pears are perfect this time of year for a fabulous salad.
Pear and chickpeas, oh what a wonderful salad!! This dressing just sounds wonderful!
I’m always on the lookout for a tasty salad and this one definitely fits the bill. I’m going the optional route and adding a healthy handful of feta cheese.
Preach on the kitchen sink salads! Your salads are always so inspiring – a great guide for building my own with what I have on hand.