This Lemon Pepper Arugula Salad with Chickpeas and Tomatoes is a delicious and nourishing meal that’s bright, flavorful, and perfect to take to your next picnic or gathering! It has a savory and citrusy vinaigrette and lots of lemon-pepper goodness, along with fresh basil.
This blog post is sponsored by RightRice.
I’m so excited to share this delicious and super SIMPLE arugula salad that is my new favorite! It has amazing bold flavor from Lemon Pepper RightRice. It pairs so perfectly with the vinaigrette, peppery arugula and tangy tomatoes, creamy vegan feta and crisp cucumbers.
The spiced chickpeas and protein-packed RightRice make it so satisfying and a great entree salad as well. Or, you can serve this as a side dish along with your bbq favorites. I’m totally obsessed with it!
If you haven’t tried RightRice, you’re in for a treat. It’s an awesome veggie-filled swap for traditional rice and comes in many tasty flavors, including the Lemon Pepper that is used in this recipe. In addition to Lemon Pepper, there’s Original, Garlic Herb, Spanish, Thai Curry, and Cilantro Lime.
So much deliciousness to choose from. I also love the added 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving, as it’s made with over 90% veggies (lentils, chickpeas, and peas). RightRice flavors are also vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free. To find out more about RightRice, you can visit their website here and shop Lemon Pepper RightRice here!
This Lemon Pepper Arugula Salad with Chickpeas and Tomatoes is not only amazingly delicious, it’s also colorful, nourishing, and full of texture! There’s lots of fresh produce in here, to make the most out of summer goodness and to eat the rainbow. The roasted pistachios add a great nutty and slightly salty flavor, and some perfect crunch too.
How This Dish Comes Together
Preparing the RightRice: Start by making the Lemon Pepper RightRice on the stovetop according to the package directions. This recipe uses 1 package of RightRice, which you’ll combine with water. The RightRice is ready in around 15 minutes. Then, transfer it to a plate to cool a bit, prior to combining with the rest of the salad.
Spice up the chickpeas: While the RightRice is cooking, add the chickpeas, oil and seasonings to a pan and cook them over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Then, let these cool for a few minutes while preparing the dressing and remaining ingredients.
Whisk up the vinaigrette: Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, and whisk them together until they’re fully combined.
Chop the remaining ingredients: Halve the tomatoes, thinly slice the cucumbers, coarsely chop the olives and pistachios, and thinly slice the red onion and fresh basil.
Putting it all together: Add the cooled RightRice and arugula to a serving platter or bowl, and gently toss with around half the dressing. Then top with the remaining ingredients and serve with the rest of the vinaigrette. You can get creative with the decorating, with the beautiful colors and shapes of these ingredients.
Alternatively, you can toss the entire salad with the exception of the pistachios, with half the dressing. Then top with pistachios and more dressing.
Other Delicious Salad Recipes
Orzo Vegetable Salad with Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing
Citrus & Avocado Watercress Salad
Lemon Pepper Arugula Salad with Chickpeas & Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 package Lemon Pepper RightRice
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas rinsed
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2.5 oz. arugula
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/3 of a seedless cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled vegan feta
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 4 to 6 large fresh basil leaves
Lemon Dijon Basil Dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp agave nectar
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Cook Lemon Pepper RightRice according to package directions, and let cool. Meanwhile, add chickpeas, seasonings and oil to a pan, stir, and cook for 3 to 4 min on medium heat. Let these cool.
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients. To assemble, add arugula and the cooled RightRice to a serving platter or bowl, and gently toss with around half the dressing.
- Then top with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, pistachios, feta, red onion, and basil. Serve with remaining dressing.