High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad

Name: High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad with Chickpeas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pint grape tomatoes (halved); Salt (to taste); 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or extra-virgin olive oil); 1 ½ tablespoons grain mustard; 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 large avocado (cubed); ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts (jarred or canned, quartered ); 1 cup chickpeas; 6 mint leaves (chiffonade); 7 basil leaves (chiffonade); 1/3 cup pistachios (chopped); Black pepper (to taste)

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Chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and fresh mint pack in plant-based protein & flavor in this High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad. It's a complete meal all by itself and takes only 20 minutes to whip up.

High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad: Halved grape tomatoes, avocado chunks, fresh mint and basil, grain mustard lemon dressing, artichoke hearts, chopped pistachios, and chickpeas mixed in a bowl. — Healthy, delicious, and quick to make. This will become your go-salad in no time!

I rarely eat side salads. Especially when it's so easy to transform a salad into a complete meal. If you're going through the effort of chopping a bunch of fruit and vegetables, it's worth taking a few extra step and save yourself having to prepare an additional main.

However, if you are looking for an easy salad side, try my Easy Vegan Creamy Cucumber Salad.

This salad recipe was inspired by my Panzanella Salad with Roasted Chickpeas, as well as this Orzo Salad with Oil-Free Pesto on this site.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
📖 Instructions
🌿Substitutions
⏱ Storage
💡 Top tip
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

See recipe card for quantities.

📖 Instructions

Salt highlights the sweetness of tomatoes and makes them stand out among the fresh herbs and lime juice. It also draws out their natural juice. This juice adds a delightful tanginess to the dressing.

Halved grape tomatoes sprinkled with salt in a large sieve. — Toss the cut tomatoes with a generous amount of salt to coat. Place them in a large sieve over a bowl.

Set aside for 15 minutes to drain. Reserve the tomato juice in the bowl to add to the dressing.

Meanwhile, chop the pistachios, artichoke hearts, fresh basil and mint .

The pistachios add a welcomed crunch to this salad. Plus, they add a notable amount of protein, fiber, potassium, and iron, as well as several other nutrients.

Chopped pistachios on a wooden cutting board with a chefs knife. — Chop the pistachios into small pieces. Do not chop them too fine or they will end up powdery, and lose their crunchy texture.

Next, add the dressing ingredients, including the tomato juice, to a bowl large enough to hold the salad. There's no need to make the dressing in a separate container. This method works perfectly well for this recipe, and there's less to wash up!

Lemony grain mustard dressing. — Add the tomato juice, grain mustard, and avocado or olive oil to the bowl. Mix well to combine.

Add the remaining salad ingredients, including the tomatoes, to the same bowl.

Halved grape tomatoes, avocado chunks, fresh mint and basil, grain mustard dressing, artichoke hearts, chopped pistachios, and chickpeas placed in a bowl. — Mix the ingredients well to incorporate all the flavors.

Add the avocado for serving if you plan on having leftovers.

Halved grape tomatoes, avocado chunks, fresh mint and basil, grain mustard dressing, artichoke hearts, chopped pistachios, and chickpeas mixed in a bowl. — This salad boasts an array of colorful and fresh ingredients.

🌿Substitutions

Grape tomatoes - grape and cherry tomatoes are best for this salad, but you can also use chopped vine, heirloom, or beefsteak tomatoes
Artichoke hearts - substitute with one third cup Kalamata olives as desired
Chickpeas - the chickpeas can be substituted with white or pinto beans
Pistachios - omit the pistachios or substitute with a different type of nut, or seeds (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
Fresh herbs - substitute with dried herbs (oregano, basil, Italian seasoning)

For another satisfying salad recipe, see this Protein-Packed Quinoa & Kale Salad on my website!

⏱ Storage

If you plan on having leftovers, add the avocado for serving. Don't mix it into the salad. Refrigerate any remaining High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad in an airtight container. Good for 1-2 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

💡 Top tip

Roast the chickpeas for even more texture. Rub them between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to remove the skins (optional). Toss in olive oil. Roast at 400ºF for 15 minutes. Broil for an additional 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

What are the artichoke hearts marinated in?

Typically, the marinade contains a blend of sunflower or olive oil, vinegar, spices, herbs (Italian seasoning), garlic, and onion.
You can find artichoke hearts marinated in water, but the oil-based marinades are more flavorful. They pair deliciously with the tomatoes and fresh basil in this salad.

How can I add more plant-based protein to my salad?

This high-protein salad contains chickpeas and pistachios for protein. Alternatively, you can substitute with other plant-based proteins, including:
-Beans
-Lentils
-Nuts and seeds
-Tofu
-Tempeh
-Edamame

What does salting tomatoes do?

Salt reduces the bitterness of the tomatoes, making them taste sweeter. It also draws out their water by a process called osmosis. This juice is great for adding to dressings. Plus, the drained tomatoes won't make your salad soggy.

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