20-minute vegan High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad with chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and fresh mint packs in plant-based protein & flavor. It's a complete meal all by itself and easy to whip up. Healthy and delicious, this will become your go-to salad in no time!
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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 steps and saving 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 healthy salad with basil was inspired by my 10-minute, 7-ingredient Creamy Butter Beans made without butter or cream, as well as this Orzo Salad with Oil-Free Pesto on this site.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Fresh basil elevates this protein-packed salad to a new level. Additionally, basil leaves offer health benefits thanks to their polyphenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.
- Chickpeas provide fiber and plant-based protein. Fiber aids in reducing cholesterol and managing blood sugar levels.
- Pistachios add a notable amount of protein, fiber, potassium, and iron, and several other nutrients.
See the recipe card for quantities.
📖 How to Make High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad
Salt highlights the sweetness of tomatoes and makes them stand out among the fresh basil, mint, and lime juice. It also draws out their natural juice. This juice adds a delightful tanginess to the dressing.
Step 1. Toss the cut tomatoes with a generous amount of salt to coat. Then 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.
Step 2. Meanwhile, chop the pistachios, artichoke hearts, fresh basil and mint. Chop the pistachios into small pieces. Do not chop them too fine or they will end up powdery, and lose their crunchy texture.
Step 3. Next, add the tomato juice, grain mustard, and avocado or olive oil to a bowl. Use a bowl large enough to hold the salad. There's no need to make the dressing in a separate container. Now there's less to wash up! Mix well to combine.
Step 4. Add the remaining basil salad ingredients, including the tomatoes, to the same bowl. Mix the ingredients well to incorporate all the flavors. Add the avocado for serving if you plan on having leftovers.
This tomato salad with basil boasts an array of colorful and fresh ingredients. If you are making it in summer, consider adding some fresh corn!
🌿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)
This Protein-Packed Quinoa & Kale Salad on my website is also very satisfying!
⏱ How to Store Tomato Basil Salad
If you plan on having leftovers, add the avocado for serving. 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 the layers of a kitchen or paper towel to remove the skins (optional). Toss in olive oil. Roast at 400ºF for 15 minutes. Then broil for them 3 minutes more, or until golden brown and crispy.
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.
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
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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High-Protein Tomato & Basil Salad
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 tablespoons 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
- ⅓ cup pistachios chopped
- Black pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Salt the tomatoes: Transfer the tomatoes to a large sieve. Add a generous dash of salt. Rub the tomatoes to evenly coat with the salt. Set aside to drain for at least 15 minutes. Rub them again while lightly squeezing to remove more of their juices. Reserve the juice.
- Make the dressing: Add the juice from the tomatoes, avocado oil, grain mustard, and lemon juice to a medium bowl and mix well to combine.
- Combine the ingredients: Stir in the tomatoes, avocado, artichoke hearts, chickpeas, mint, basil, and pistachios. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Marinated artichokes add more flavor to this recipe, but any jarred or canned artichoke hearts will work. If you are not able to find them quartered, chop them before adding them to the salad.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Jacqui says
When you list nuts in a recipe, are we to always assume raw ? Or can they be roasted and salted?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I personally only use raw, but the recipes work with either!
Kasey Grisham says
Super yummy! So fresh. I did heat up the chickpeas before mixing them in, highly recommend
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you. Love that idea of heating the chickpeas!
Debra Murphy says
Just made this ,it was delicious! Had no artichokes, added crispy oven baked lentils. Didnt have basil so used fresh parsley and lots of mint. It was truly awesome. Thankyou Nisha
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yours sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Cindy says
Delicious! Easy and flavorful. Thank you for this recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Lauren Sewell says
Wow this was so delicious! My husband loved it too. Thank you for sharing!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you both enjoyed it. Thank you!
Gabriela says
Looks great. But it doesnt say how many servings ?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. It says it in the recipe card. It's 3 servings.
Sher says
Dumb question but are you adding any of the marinade from the artichoke jar?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I don't. I use the marinated artichokes which have soaked up the marinade. However, feel free to add some if you like.
Sher says
Thank you! 🙂
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sure!
Kimmi says
Absolutely delicious!
Didn’t have avocado so I substituted it for cucumber. Also added whole wheat rotini.
Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Great substitutions! Thank you for commenting.
CW says
Chef's kiss. Good tasting even if you can't find avocados.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you so much. Have a great week.
Shannon says
This is so freakin good! Thank you!!
Nisha Melvani says
Awww thank you! Have a fab weekend!
Carrie Ramoz says
Made this and it was AMAZING!
Nisha Melvani says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Lee M. says
I make this recipe frequently. It's easy to make, filling and healthy served over a mixture of romaine lettuce and mixed greens. I eat as a main course!
Nisha Melvani says
A main for sure:) I'm thrilled you tried it and enjoyed it. Adding the lettuce is a great idea.
Heather says
How long do you think this would last in the refrigerator? I’d like to make this for mine and my husband’s lunches for a few days.
Nisha Melvani says
Hi! If you reserve the avocado for serving, it will last 4 to 5 days. Add the pistachios for serving if you want to keep them crunchy.
Kim Kirkegaard says
Excellent! Made for my mother who doesn’t like meat but needs the protein! She wants me to make it for her often! Thanks!
Nisha Melvani says
I so happy that she likes this one!!! Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a wonderful week.
Julie Graves says
We ran out of avocadoes before we made this, and it was still INCREDIBLE. Perfectly balanced, vibrantly summer, and satisfying chick peas make a perfect dinner.
Nisha Melvani says
Yayy! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Sarah says
Absolutely delicious!!!!
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you.
Jenifer says
How much is a serving based on the estimated nutrition facts?
Nisha Melvani says
One third of the recipe.
LG says
Thank you for this great salad, we loved it , it's on our weekend list now.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear! Thank you for trying this salad!
Jen says
So good, thanks for the recipe!! Alterations I had to make: I wasn't able to get fresh herbs so I used dry
along with a "Tuscany" flavored olive oil. Also used pine nuts that we already had.
Nisha Melvani says
Perfect substitutions. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Ana says
This looks great! How essential is the grain mustard? I always have dijon in my fridge but rarely grain mustard.
Nisha Melvani says
Hi. Use Dijon instead. It's totally fine!
Carrie says
Delicious! I omitted the oil and nuts and didn’t miss either. Thanks for sharing!
Nisha Melvani says
That's wonderful to know. Thanks for sharing that for other readers. So glad you enjoyed it. More oil-free recipes to come.
Lee says
Made this salad tonight. Easy and delicious. I followed the recipe but added extra artichokes and added seedless cucumber!
Nisha Melvani says
Great additions. Thank you so much for leaving a comment and rating the recipe. Have a great day.
Cheri says
I love it as is but I added some pickled onions and it added just a kiss of sweetness. Sooooooo good. I love this recipe.
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you. Pickled onions are a delicious addition!