Speedy Big-Batch Meal Prep: Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

As many of you who are long-time readers already know, I’m a big fan of big-batch cooking on Sunday afternoon. In my opinion, it’s one of the easiest things you can do to set yourself up for a good week of healthy, clean eats and it doesn’t have to take a ton of effort.

cucumbers and tomatoes

Over the next little while, I plan to post a bunch of my favourite big-batch salad recipes in hopes that they’ll inspire you to jump on the Sunday afternoon meal prep bandwagon if you haven’t already. 

chickpeas for salad

parsley lemon and green onion

All of the recipes will…

  • be easy to make
  • be gluten free
  • be nutrient dense
  • make enough for 5 servings
  • keep well in the fridge for at least 5 days
  • contain only clean, whole food ingredients
  • include options for vegan and vegetarian diets (if they’re not already suitable)
  • include suggestions for ingredient swaps, plus ideas for making the meal larger in volume, without adding tons of calories

ingredients for chickpea tabbouleh salad

Sound like a plan? Let’s get to the first one!

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

This twist on traditional tabbouleh is light yet high in protein and super fresh flavour. All you need to prepare it is a big bowl, a good knife and chopping board, and a food processor.

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

by Angela Simpson

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients (5 servings)

  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 cups flat leaf parsley (about 1 large bunch), washed, most stems removed – don’t worry if you don’t get them all out
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 English cucumbers, diced
  • 2 green onions, diced, white and light green parts only
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (ideally from BPA-free cans)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • In a food processor, whiz the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and cumin until the garlic clove has broken down into very small pieces and the mixture looks like a dressing. Empty it into a large bowl and set aside.
  • Add the parsley and pulse on high until it breaks down into very small pieces.

parsley in food processor

  • Empty the parsley into the mixing bowl with the dressing.
  • Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

  • Allow the salad to sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavours to blend before seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
  • This salad will keep well refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Click here to print the recipe.

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Still hungry?

Traditional tabbouleh contains grains (usually bulgur) and you could totally add some (or millet, quinoa or amaranth) to the mixture if you’d like to make it a bit bigger and higher in fiber. This won’t increase the preparation time by much – simply cook your choice of quick-cooking whole grain on the stove while you prep everything else, then toss it in the big bowl and stir to combine it with the other ingredients.

Big Batch Meal Prep - Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad - Eat Spin Run Repeat

Alternatively, if you don’t want to add grains but still want a little more food in your bowl, serve the salad over mixed greens, or chop some extra cucumber and throw it in the mix. If you do this, you might want to add a few extra squeezes of lemon juice, but by letting the tabbouleh sit in the fridge for a few days, the flavours will naturally intensify so you might not feel the need to add anything at all.

So tell me…

  • Did you do Sunday meal prep this week? What did you make?
  • What’s in your lunch today?

16 thoughts on “Speedy Big-Batch Meal Prep: Lemony Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

  1. I am really looking forward to your big batch salad recipes. I just started meal planning and prepping and would love something to work with. Thanks for the inspiration!

  2. This series is going to be one of my favourites – I can just feel it. As a busy girl, it is so great to be able to have recipes that are fresh, quick and I love that they LAST in the fridge.

    Ange – you rock.

  3. Yummmmy! I will have to try this, because I love, love, love chickpeas!! I meal prepped some salads this week but none that looked this amazing

  4. I am SO looking forward to these recipes. I am trying not to rely on the frozen food aisle for lunch and this salad is exactly what I have been hoping to make for lunch! Getting started now and know that it will have been feeling great all week. Thank you!

    1. This makes me so happy to hear, Lindsay!! I hope you enjoy making this one (and the others coming up in this series). Once you start, I doubt you’ll ever want to eat anything from the frozen food aisle again. Let me know if you have any questions or recipe requests, and have a fab week! 🙂

    1. Hi Teresa,
      Ground cumin is a spice – it’s cumin seeds, ground into a powder. You can find it in any spice section of the grocery store, but you don’t have to add it to this recipe if you don’t want to. I’ve only used a little bit here so the flavour is quite subtle.

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