Name: Chickpea Salad Cucumber Boats
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 people
Ingredients: 2 cucumbers; 1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed); 1/4 cup red onion (diced); 2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped); 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (sub hummus to make vegan)

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Delicious, refreshing, and easy, these Chickpea Salad Cucumber Boats are the perfect meal for a hot summer day! They’re gluten free and vegetarian, and can easily be made vegan.

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It’s HOT out there, friends. Well, not so much today as it was over the weekend (Friday had a heat index of 111, can you believe it?!). But still, we are certainly in the “dog days of summer” right about now.

I’ve personally never had an issue using my stove in the summer, but I know that a lot of people prefer raw and “no cook” recipes during this time of year. And I don’t blame them!

If that’s how you feel, then these Chickpea Salad Cucumber Boats are a great recipe to add to your routine! They’re crunchy, refreshing, light, and just a quality summertime meal.

Oh, and they come together in 15 minutes, without the use of any type of stove/oven/microwave. AMAZING.

Are cucumbers nutritious?

You probably already know how refreshing cucumbers can be, but they provide a lot more than just a hydrating crunch!

An 8-inch cucumber with its peel provides over 40% of the Daily Value for vitamin K, a nutrient that’s vital for blood clotting and bone health (1, 2).

Cucumbers also contain antioxidants, are rich in fiber, have a high water content, and are low in calories (3).

How do you wash cucumber skins?

Since this recipe calls for using cucumbers as boats, it’s best to keep the skin on your cucumbers. This will make them easier to pick up and eat.

Some people worry about eating the skins of cucumbers, since they may have a wax coating if they were purchased from a grocery store and not directly from a farmer.

To wash a cucumber that does not have a wax coating, rinse it under cold water for 30-60 seconds and use a veggie brush to remove any dirt.

If the cucumber has a wax coating, soak it in a bowl with equal parts water and vinegar for a couple of minutes and then rinse under running water. You can also spray it with a homemade veggie wash, or use a little bit of baking soda and a veggie scrub brush if the wax is hard to get off.

How to Make Cucumber Boats

To prepare the cucumbers for this recipe, wash them according to the instructions above and then slice in half lengthwise. If a cucumber is very large, you may want to slice it in half horizontally as well.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the center of each cucumber half. Discard or compost.

Prepare the chickpea salad by combining chickpeas (drained and rinsed), red onion, fresh dill, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and minced garlic in a small bowl.

Spread each cucumber boat with a tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt (or Tzatziki) and then fill with a scoop of the chickpea salad. To make these vegan, use hummus instead of yogurt.

These would also be fun for a party as an appetizer. You can even use mini cucumbers to make boats that are more bite-size.

Other Fillings for Cucumber Boats

In addition to this recipe, there are tons of other easy and healthy cucumber boat ideas.

You can fill cucumber boats with Double Pepper Mango Salsa, Jicama Cherry Salsa, Slow Cooker Black Beans with Scallions, Rotisserie Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chickpea Salad, or BBQ Lentils with Shredded Carrots.

Other filling ideas include tuna salad, turkey taco meat, Caprese salad (cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil), and Greek salad.

If you make this recipe, be sure to rate and review it using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and don’t forget to follow and tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall on Instagram! Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.