A light, healthy chickpea salad that requires zero cooking and is super easy to put together for a nutritious and satisfying lunch.

I returned from a climbing holiday in Costa Blanca a couple of weeks ago now feeling more inspired than ever to get my diet in order, buckle down on my fitness training, and get stronger than ever.

It happens every time I go away, and for me, that always mean diving back into big salads with a variety of tastes and textures. This salad has protein from the chickpeas, and lots of different vegetables to make it interesting.

The real key thing you need to remember when making this salad is to take the time to chop up all your vegetables into small chunks – having everything around the same size as the chickpeas makes it so much more enjoyable to eat.

Secondly, this recipe uses fresh herbs which is so essential for giving the salad lots of flavour without needing a more complex dressing. Fresh basil and fresh parsley give the salad lots of flavour, while lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper just enhance the natural tastes of the vegetables.

Plus, this means that you get a more even distribution of the ingredients on your spoon!

Other salads you might like to check out include this smoked tofu and sweet potato salad, while this chickpea salad could be deliciously paired with this smoky aubergine dip!

As you can see in the photo above, I love to pair this chickpea salad with seeded crispbreads slathered in hummus – but it could also be good in a flatbread or as a side salad in warmer weather.