Lemony Chickpea & Arugula Grain Salad
with Cucumber, Cheddar & Sunflower Seeds
- Wheat
- Milk
For a delicious, wholesome salad, you’ll start by sizzling chickpeas and scallion whites, then toss them with tender grains, cheddar cheese, arugula, cucumber, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with a simple lemony olive oil dressing and finish with scallion greens for a nourishing meal that’s ready in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
2 unit
Scallions
1 unit
Chickpeas
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Microwavable Grain Blend
(Contains: Wheat)
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
1 unit
Lemon
2 ounce
Arugula
½ cup
White Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
½ ounce
Sunflower Seeds
Not included in your delivery
3 tablespoon
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
½ teaspoon
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Drain and rinse chickpeas. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites, chickpeas, stock concentrate, a pinch of salt, and pepper. • Cook, covered, shaking the pan occasionally, until scallions are browned and chickpeas are slightly crispy, 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Chickpeas will pop. Be careful!) Transfer to a large bowl.
• While chickpeas cook, massage grain blend in package; partially open package. Microwave until warmed through, 1½-2 minutes. • Transfer grain blend to bowl with chickpeas. Fluff and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use in Step 5.
• While grain blend microwaves, halve lemon. Quarter cucumber lengthwise; slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 3 TBSP olive oil, ½ tsp sugar, juice from lemon halves, a pinch of salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined (6 TBSP olive oil and 1 tsp sugar for 4 servings).
• To bowl with grain blend and chickpeas, add cucumber, arugula, cheddar, sunflower seeds, and dressing; toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Divide grain salad between bowls and top with scallion greens. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the fresh, flavorful combination; some found it bland and suggested adding herbs or stronger cheese.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, with pre-cooked grains saving time; chickpeas may take longer to crisp than expected.
- Suggestions: Consider adding dried cranberries, apples, or tomatoes for sweetness and color. Try feta or goat cheese for more tang.
- Leftovers: Tasty as leftovers for some, though arugula may wilt; others found it less appealing the next day.
- Texture: Crunchy sunflower seeds and crispy chickpeas added satisfying texture to the tender grains and greens 🍲.
Reviews from our home cooks
Savory and delicious, yet so simple to make. Freshness of the greens and lemon vinaigrette was perfect with the hearty chickpeas. The arugula stood up to the heat of the beans and grains and added a nice peppery, nutty flavor. Loved the cheddar and sunflower seeds for texture.
I loved how easy, quick and delicious this meal was. I liked how the grains were premade and cooked easily in the microwave, so it didn't take long to prepare. The only con was that the dressing wasn't provided so it took 6 tablespoons of olive oil from the pantry (for the 4 person meal). It'd be nice if this was included in the meal like other services. Overall, quick, delicious meal with a few veggies!
Wow! We were really impressed with this recipe. It was the first time trying it. Loved how healthy and easy to make it was. I wouldn't want it every week but definitely once in a while when we've had too many pizzas and burgers in a row. Great for a hot summer meal.
This was surprisingly delicious! We loved the grain with the arugula. And the sunflower seeds, even though just a few, were a great flavorful addition. Excellent recipe!!
The arugula was almost all bad by the time I ate this (2 days later). I was also shocked to see how many calories were in a salad. I think there should be a lot more veggies to make up for the ones that went bad and because there was not much to begin with. A salad should be mostly vegetables, not rice.
Love the chickpeas in the salad, but not a fan of the bitter arugula.
I thought we would like this meal but instead we LOVED it. More grain salads in the future please! Soooo good. We added fresh basil and red pepper flakes to the dressing and it was fantastic.
Liked the basic taste but wanted more dressing (or other citrus) to help with the chickpea ratio. One can was too much.
Loved this. Especially that the grains were pre-cooked. Made it so simple. I was very impressed with the flavors
This was a new recipe to us and we really enjoyed the textures and flavors, and it was a nice, healthy option.
