Summer Harvest Grain Salad With Chickpeas + Cucumber
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This Harvest Grain Salad is a light, refreshing summer salad that is also hearty! It’s so easy and quick to make and is the perfect addition to summer BBQs, lunches by the pool, and picnics!
I recently made this Harvest Grains Salad for a picnic lunch my family had on the beach. We met my parents there and tried out their new kayak and stand up paddleboard! It was so fun.
This grain salad paired perfectly with the veggie sandwiches my mom made for everyone.
My mom is allergic to lemon, so for the simple vinaigrette, I used white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. You can definitely interchange these two ingredients for this recipe though!
Another recipe that I love for picnics, wine tasting, and summer BBQs is this Mediterranean Pinwheel recipe!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Fast – It takes about 10 minutes to cook the Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend, though this can be made in advance. The rest of the recipe takes under 5 minutes to prepare, as you’re simply chopping some cucumbers and combining the ingredients!
- Easy – Simply toss everything in a large bowl! We love this recipe as an easy, hearty lunch!
- Flavorful – The white wine vinaigrette (or lemon vinaigrette if you replace the vinegar with lemon juice), brings a light, summery flavor! The feta cheese also adds a nice zing!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Harvest Grains Salad:
Ingredient Notes
- Harvest Grain Blend: This blend is from Trader Joe’s and combines pearled couscous, orzo, split baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. If you don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s grocery store, you can use quinoa, farro, orzo, or Israeli Couscous (also known as Pearl Couscous) as a replacement!
- Cucumber: I used Persian cucumber here, but you can use English cucumber as well.
- Feta Cheese: The feta cheese can also be swapped for goat cheese or a dairy-free feta cheese.
- Parsley: I love adding parsley to this recipe. You can add other fresh herbs as well, such as basil, thyme, or chives.
How to Make Harvest Grain Salad: STEP-BY-STEP
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
STEP 1:
Prepare the Harvest Grain Blend according to package instructions.
STEP 2:
In a large bowl, combine cooked Harvest Grain Blend, cucumber, feta cheese, chickpeas, and parsley.
STEP 3:
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried thyme, and salt to form a vinaigrette.
STEP 4:
Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss to combine. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make the Harvest Blend ahead of time – To save yourself a little time, make the harvest grain blend ahead of time! When you’re ready to make the salad, you’ll only need to chop the cucumber and parsley, whisk together the vinaigrette, and toss everything together.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Artichoke hearts
- Red onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh herbs
- Baby kale
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Fresh corn kernels
Substitutions:
- White wine vinegar: You can replace the white wine vinegar with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar.
- Feta cheese: You can use goat cheese or a dairy-free feta cheese (or just omit the feta altogether, if needed).
- Harvest grain blend: If you don’t have access to a Trader Joe’s near you, you can replace this blend with quinoa, farro, orzo, or Israeli couscous (Pearl couscous).
What to Serve With This Harvest Grain Salad Recipe
- I recently served this for my husband with a little grilled chicken to turn it into a meal. For myself, I served it with a veggie burger!
- Sandwiches
- Burgers/any BBQ food
Frequently Asked Questions
No problem! You can swap out the Harvest Grain Blend with quinoa, farro, orzo, or Israeli couscous (Pearl couscous). Even pasta could work here if you want to turn it into a pasta salad.
You can use a dairy-free feta cheese or you can omit the feta cheese altogether.
Absolutely!
Tools For This Recipe
- Mixing Bowl
- Salad mixing spoons – I love Larder & Vine’s Kitchen Utensil Set; use code: SUPERMOMEATS to get 20% off your order
In a Lunch Rut?
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I hope you love this Harvest Grain Salad! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating below so I know how you liked it! Enjoy!
Harvest Grain Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend, or alternative (*see notes)
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 6 ounces feta cheese
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
White Wine Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Harvest Grain Blend according to package instructions.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked Harvest Grain Blend, cucumber, feta cheese, chickpeas, and parsley.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried thyme, and salt to form a vinaigrette.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss to combine. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can swap out the Harvest Grain Blend with quinoa, farro, orzo, or Israeli couscous (Pearl couscous). Even pasta could work here if you want to turn it into a pasta salad.