Five-Minute Garbanzo Bean "Salad"

A few months ago, I had one of those crazy weeks where cooking a decent meal is pretty much out of the question (I was basically living off of apples and peanut butter). And while apples and peanut butter are a delicious and classic combo, it got old quick and wasn't doing much to fill me or keep me focused. After reaching a point of desperation for something more nutritious, I decided to go on a scavenger hunt through my fridge and pantry to see what I could gather. I only had about eight things to eat in total; thankfully, I'm always up for a food challenge. ;)

What I found in my fridge was everything I normally eat on a salad (tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese) ... but there wasn't any spinach, lettuce or dressing in sight. So, I reached for some garbanzo beans and olive oil in my pantry. I chopped up the tomato, cucumber and onion, and tossed them in a bowl with the beans (which I drained and rinsed), feta cheese, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. It might sound boring, but this "salad" ended up being surprisingly flavorful (note: I used basil and tomato feta instead of regular - it's a game changer) and was easily one of the healthiest and most satisfying meals I've ever thrown together in less than five minutes. I still make it often, even when I have a fully stocked fridge and pantry ... and plenty of time to spare.

*You can always replace olive oil with a Greek salad vinaigrette. I did this once and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (and rinsed, if desired)
Cucumber
Tomato
Red onion
Feta cheese (basil & tomato feta is the way to go here - trust me)
Olive oil (or Greek vinaigrette)
Dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Directions:
Finely chop up the cucumber, tomato and red onion
Add in beans; mix all ingredients together
Drizzle in olive oil or dressing; mix together
Add salt and pepper; mix again

Enjoy!