Mediterranean Chickpea Millet Salad

Love whole grains in salad?

Whole grains make the best salad recipes. They’re quick and easy to make when you know how to treat the grains and there are endless options. I’ve made salads using everything from quinoa and farro, to barley to bulgur and brown rice to name a few. This easy millet salad is made with cooked hulled millet, a wholesome, flavorful ancient grain. Plu, millet has a low glycemic index with staying power that keeps you fuller, longer.

This chickpea and millet salad recipe is a family favorite.

It makes a tasty side dish next to a pork chop, or piece of rotisserie chicken, lamb or even seafood and the recipe yields a large salad.

Best of all, like most whole grains, this millet salad won’t wilt the way that leafy greens do. It lasts for days in the refrigerator. Consequently, my husband and I regularly enjoy leftovers at work for an easy brown bag lunch.

Ingredients for Mediterranean millet salad:

This simple ingredient list belies the wonderful flavor and textures inherent in this whole grain salad recipe.

The millet is hearty with a good chew and the flavorful bites of olive, feta, cucumber and chickpeas make every bite a good reason for another. The radishes add a peppery note and a splash of color that gives the Mediterranean millet salad the look of a Lilly Pulitzer dress. How fashionable.

About millet

I have an instructional post on how to cook millet which works perfectly for this salad recipe. Be sure to fluff and steam the grains of millet and then let them cool completely before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.

If you add hot grains to the vegetables, they’ll wilt and adding dressing to hot millet will make it gluey instead of giving you fluffy separate morsels.

How to make millet salad:

1. Add the cooked and cooled millet to a large bowl.
2. Add the cucumbers, green onion, radishes, drained chick peas, kalamata olives and feta.
3. Drizzle the lemon honey vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.
4. Just before serving, chop the fresh herbs and add to the salad. (That keeps them vibrant).

Ingredients for lemon honey vinaigrette

This is a standard lemon vinaigrette that you can use to dress everything from leafy green salads to other whole grain salads or even toss with steamed vegetables. It’s a great all purpose lemon dressing.

Making vinaigrette for Mediterranean millet salad:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Whisk until the dressing is emulsified.

If you love clean eating, this simple whole grain salad with ancient millet will make you feel good about every bite. It’s light and nutty with a tangy, citrusy flavor and briny pops of olive and creamy feta cheese.

One bite leads to another and each one will make your tastebuds and your belly supremely happy. Be sure to package up any leftovers for lunch the next day. You’ll be glad you did.

FAQ’s

More whole grain salads you might like:

• Lemony Chickpea Tuna Salad with Quinoa
• Italian Wild Rice Salad
• Curried Rice Salad
• Mediterranean Farro Salad
• Savory Pickled Cherry Rice Salad
• Lemony Chicken and Farro Salad
• Mediterranean Khorasan Wheat Salad
• Quinoa Asparagus and Feta Salad
• Asian Rice Salad
• Spicy Sausage, Tomato and Avocado Salad (with quinoa)
• Grilled Vegetables with Feta and Farro
• Peas Asparagus and Quinoa
• Chicken Kale and Farro Salad
• Inauthentic Tabbouleh
• Mandarin Quinoa Bowl
• Tangy Italian Black Rice Salad