WED LUNCH · FROM THE VIDEO
Chickpea Chopped Salad with Lemon-Herb Cottage Cheese Dressing
- 20 min
- 8 min with Sunday prep
- 1–4 servings
- 320 kcal
- 28g protein
A crisp, no-cook lunch that turns a scoop of cottage cheese into a creamy, tangy dressing whisked with lemon, garlic and oregano. Crunchy romaine, cucumber, tomatoes and chickpeas make it filling enough to carry you through a Wednesday afternoon, and it's ready in the time it takes to chop three vegetables.
Adds this lunch's 5 groceries to your Walmart cart; you check out on Walmart. Part of 5 work lunches from one tub of cottage cheese · send the whole week to Walmart.
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Ingredients
- 2 cupsromaine hearts, chopped
- 1/2 cupEnglish cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cupcherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cupchickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cupcottage cheese
From the pantry: lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, garlic, minced, salt, black pepper
Cookware
cutting board · chef's knife · mixing bowl · small whisk or fork · meal-prep container
Directions
- On a cutting board, chop the romaine, cucumber and cherry tomatoes into bite-size pieces (skip this step if you chopped them during Sunday prep).
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cottage cheese with the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic and dried oregano until mostly smooth and creamy.
- Season the dressing with a pinch of salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting the lemon or salt as needed.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes and chickpeas.
- Pour the cottage cheese dressing over the salad and toss well to coat every piece.
- Pack the tossed salad into a meal-prep container and refrigerate until lunchtime, or pack the dressing separately in a small container if eating more than a few hours later.
Two tips
- No English cucumber on hand? Any cucumber works — just scoop out watery seeds from regular varieties before dicing.
- Blend the dressing in a mini food processor instead of whisking for a completely smooth, ranch-like texture.
Packing
Toss the salad with the dressing right before packing for best texture, or keep dressing in a separate small container and add it just before eating to prevent sogginess. Eat cold — no reheating needed. Best packed the morning of or the night before.
Storage
Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days if dressed just before eating; pre-dressed salad is best within 24 hours. Not recommended for freezing, as the vegetables and cottage cheese dressing don't hold up well thawed.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 620 mg
The rest of the week
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TueTaco Turkey Quinoa Bowl with Cottage Cheese and Salsa
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ThuCottage Cheese Everything Bagel Snack Box
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FriCreamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Cottage Cheese
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Recipe developed by MealPot for the “5 work lunches from one tub of cottage cheese” video. Nutrition is estimated from standard (USDA) data for the quantities above. Photo: MealPot, an AI-rendered illustration of the packed lunch.