Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad

We are starting the new year off with a wonderfully easy, packed with flavor, super delicious Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad. This salad is perfect for quick lunches, to prep for a few days in advance, and for grab and go options. In summary: Your perfect partner for this start to the new year.

This Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad contains delicious (gluten-free) millet. We then pair this with protein-packed chickpeas, red onion, cucumber, radishes, and pomegranate seeds. All of this will be topped off by a delicious creamy and zesty dressing that is spiced with mint.

Sincerely, we had this salad on repeat for the last couple of weeks. I absolutely love that you can pack it and take it with you. We have used it on roadtrips as lunch, and I have also had it as a nice prepped lunch. I also adore the colors of this salad. It is a feast for the eyes on the plate. But more importantly (as always) it is absolutely divine.

Why is this Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad good for you?

Millet

Millet belongs to the grass family. It is mainly grown in India, Nigeria, and throughout other countries in Africa and Asia. It’s a hard, small crop which allows for growth even under difficult circumstances, for example not a lot of water or less fertile soil. This grain is increasingly becoming popular for numerous reasons. For one, it is gluten-free. But it also packs protein, fiber, and some antioxidants. In addition, it is also a great source for phosphorous, magnesium, folate, iron, and calcium. Millet also has anti-inflammatory properties.

The antioxidants found in millet have been shown, in animal studies, to help with wound healing, and skin protection. They also bind themselves to heavy metals in your body and eliminate those. This may avoid metal poisoning. Millet also contains soluble fiber, which helps to trap fat and cholesterol. That way, they get eliminated through the gut and lower your overall cholesterol levels. It may also lower your triglyceride levels. Altogether, not too bad for a small, mighty grain – am I right 😉?!

How can I adjust this Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad to my dietary requirements?

This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free. Due to the grains from the chickpeas and millet, this recipe is not suitable for the paleo lifestyle.

Similar Recipes on the Blog

These other salads are also great options for “grab ‘n go” or a quick lunch that can be made for a few days in advance. Be sure to also check out the following recipes:

• Vegan Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
• Easiest Yummy Chickpea Salad
• Jackfruit Fajita Salad
• Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel

And that is it for this week. I hope you enjoy this absolutely delicious Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad and have a lovely start to your new year. As always, please let me know how you like the recipe by either commenting below and/or rating the recipe. You know I love hearing from you!! Happy recipe-making – enjoy!!

Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: MainsCuisine: Middle Eastern InspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

This Middle Eastern Inspired Millet and Chickpea Salad bursts with flavors of mint, pomegranate, and kicks in a punch from the red onion!

Ingredients

• For the millet

• 125 gr. 125 (ca. 3/4 cup) millet

• 250 ml 250 (1 cup) water

• 1 tbsp 1 olive oil

• For the salad

• 1 1 red onion

• 1/2 1/2 cucumber

• 10 small 10 radishes

• 1 can 1 chickpeas (ca. 350 gr.)

• Large handful of mint

• 1/2 1/2 pomegranate, seeds

• For the sauce

• 1/2 cup 1/2 (125 ml) non-dairy yogurt of choice

• 2 tbsp 2 olive oil

• 2 tbsp 2 lemon juice

• Salt and Pepper to taste

How to

• For the millet
• Wash the millet in a small sieve. Put on a stove and add the water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ca. 10 minutes. Until the water has absorbed and the millet is tender. Mix in 1 tbsp of olive oil and set aside to cool
• For the salad
• Meanwhile, prep the remainder of the salad ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Add to a small bowl and cover with hot water for 2 minutes or so. This will take out some of the pungent flavor of the onion. Drain and add to a large bowl
• Wash and cut both the cucumber and radishes into small bites. Wash the mint and chop. Drain the chickpeas and be sure to wash well. Add everything along to the bowl. De-seed half of a pomegranate and add the seeds
• For the sauce
• Mix all the sauce ingredients together
• To assemble
• Add the cooled millet and the sauce to the salad bowl and mix everything well. Do a final taste-test and season to your liking. Serve and enjoy!!