Cucumber Noodle Chickpea and Green Bean Salad with Hemp Hearts
Try this Cucumber Noodle Chickpea and Green Bean Salad with Hemp Hearts recipe
Try this Cucumber Noodle Chickpea and Green Bean Salad with Hemp Hearts recipe
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- for the salad:
- for the dressing:
- 1/2 easpoon dijon mustard
- a handful of green beans (about 2oz)
- 1/2 arge seedless cucumber blade d, noodles trimmed
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 4 olives (your preference)
- 1/2 up canned chickpeas drained, rinsed, patted dry
- 1 teaspoon hemp hearts
- 1 pinch herbes de provence (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- Carbohydrate 2.94274 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.586 g
- Fiber 0.816000032424927 g
- Protein 0.5984 g
- Saturated Fat 0.909656 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (104g)
- Sodium 78.6995729166668 mg
- Sugar 2.12673996757507 g
- Trans Fat 0.214105999999999 g
- Calories 76 calories
Step-by-step
- Fill a small pot â…“ of the way with water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add in the green beans and let cook for 4 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain into a colander and set aside over a bowl with ice. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- While the green beans cook, pat the cucumber noodles dry, thoroughly and set aside in a bowl. Also, halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl. Halve the olives and add those to the bowl as well. Add in the chickpeas.
- Next, prepare the dressing. Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust to your preference.
- Once the green beans are chilled and no longer warm, add them to the bowl and drizzle everything with the dressing and sprinkle with hemp hearts.
Raw cucumber noodles release significant amounts of cellular water within thirty minutes of salting or dressing, meaning this assembly relies entirely on precise timing to prevent a watery bowl. Standard meal prep practices fail here because high-moisture vegetables degrade rapidly under direct acid exposure. Storing the dressed components together creates a soggy texture that ruins the crisp snap of the green beans. Separating the wet elements from the dry structural components is the only viable method for advance preparation.
Blanching the green beans for exactly four minutes in salted boiling water activates chlorophyll while halting enzymatic breakdown, producing a bright green hue and a tender-crisp bite. Plunging those same beans into an ice bath stops cooking instantly, locking in both color and cellular structure before refrigeration. Patting the canned chickpeas completely dry with paper towels removes surface starches that would otherwise dilute the apple cider vinegar dressing and prevent adherence.
Acid from the apple cider vinegar interacts chemically with the fats in the extra virgin olive oil and Dijon mustard to form a temporary emulsion when vigorously whisked. Hemp hearts introduce delicate polyunsaturated fats and plant proteins without absorbing excess moisture, maintaining structural integrity over time. Leaving the hemp hearts dry until the final moment preserves their distinct nutty crunch against the softer textures of the tomatoes and olives.
Constructing this dish requires keeping the blanched green beans, cucumber noodles, and chickpeas in sealed airtight containers for up to twenty-four hours before final combination. Freezing is strictly discouraged because the high water content in cucumbers and tomatoes causes ice crystals to rupture cell walls completely. Pouring the vinaigrette over the vegetables just prior to consumption ensures optimal texture without premature wilting.
