Watermelon Tomato Salad with Marinated Chickpeas

It’s hard to pick a star ingredient here. Hearty tomatoes, juicy watermelon, chickpeas marinated in olive oil and white wine vinegar, fresh blueberries, creamy goat cheese…yum!

Hey, friends! It’s summertime and we’re looking for simple-to-prepare salads that will wake up our tastebuds, right?

Well, you could call today’s recipe a “happy accident.” I started with a salad from a Spanish cookbook, but when I couldn’t find corn nuts — a key ingredient, according to the author — I decided to substitute marinated chickpeas.

The result is a colorful summer salad that’s so light and tasty — AND better nutrition-wise than the original dish since chickpeas are a legume with all kinds of healthy goodness. I served it for dinner with barbecued chicken and broiled asparagus and we both loved it. I’m betting you’ll love it, too!

You’ll need to prepare some ingredients in advance

Watermelon Tomato Salad with Marinated Chickpeas has two “make-ahead” components: marinating the chickpeas and sweating the tomatoes. It’s best to allow a few hours (or even overnight if you want) for the chickpeas to marinate. Sweating the tomatoes only takes about 30 minutes. Once those two things are done, the dish comes together very quickly.

A note about photography in this post: I didn’t succeed in getting decent photos of my actual salad [insert sad face]. The featured stock image above doesn’t show tomatoes — but you get the idea! Also, I served mine in a shallow serving dish, not piled up in a bowl. It looked more like a charcuterie — but you’ll definitely need silverware for this one.

Make This Recipe Your Own

I’m betting you could make many variations on this salad and still end up with a delicious summer side dish that will have your family or guests coming back for more.

Don’t have any blueberries? That’s okay. Think cucumber from your garden would be good? I support you. Have someone who doesn’t love goat cheese or is vegan? Just serve it on the side or omit it altogether. I promise not to judge.

Cooking should be fun and intuitive. If we’re thinking more about sustainable meal prep these days (I know I am) — that means when putting together a simple salad, we don’t need to run to the store to follow everything to the letter. The key ingredients here are tomatoes, watermelon and marinated chickpeas. Get creative with the rest of it!

Curious about the original inspiration recipe?

Check out Ensalada de Sandia y Tomate on Epicurious.

More Summer Recipes

Fresh Mango Pineapple Salsa
Let’s Make Savory Tomato Jam
Light + Healthy Watermelon Gazpacho

Now Let’s Take a Look at the Main Ingredients

• Fresh Tomatoes: The original recipe called for Heirloom tomatoes, but I used Beefsteak. They are “beefy” (of course) and not too watery. I think any hearty tomato would work well.
  
  A side note: I don’t love fresh tomatoes; I tolerate them. If you’re in the same camp, you should still give this salad a try. Sweating the tomatoes gives them a slightly sweeter, more concentrated flavor. Prepared this way, you’re less likely to end up with tasteless, watery tomatoes and yellow seed goop dripping down your chin.
  
• Watermelon
• Fresh Blueberries: I had some in the fridge to use up and I don’t regret this decision 😊.
• Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas, which worked just fine. Dried chickpeas would probably absorb the marinade flavors better, but I didn’t have the patience to soak them overnight, cook them and then marinate them.
  
  Since the chickpeas are replacing crunchy corn nuts (a.k.a. quicos), I thought about subbing in roasted chickpeas for the crunch. But then I read that roasted chickpeas turn to mush quickly and are best served within an hour — which wasn’t in my game plan. Let me know in the comments if you experiment with this or know of any roasted chickpeas that keep their crunch!
  
  Quick Nutrition Fact: Chickpeas are low in calories and a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Plus they’re high in protein, which helps you to feel full longer.
  
• White Wine Vinegar: The original recipe called for Sherry vinegar, but I try to use what I have instead of buying a specialty ingredient. Feel free to use either one.
• Sweet Onion: Be sure to slice it thin.
• Garlic: I doubled the garlic, as per usual. We are a family of garlic lovers…what can I say? You should adjust it to suit your taste, of course.

Okay — over to you! Let me know if you try this recipe or have any questions. I’d also love to know if you make any substitutions.

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