Chickpea, cucumber and lime salad.

A useful salad can begin with a tin you already have and something crisp from the fridge.

This is a suggested combination, not a kitchen-tested recipe. The quantities make roughly two side portions; adjust them to your appetite and what else you are serving. Preparation time is about 15 minutes, as an estimate.

What you need

• 240 g ready-to-eat canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, optional
• Juice of 1 lime, added to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil
• A small handful of coriander or parsley
• Black pepper, to taste

Put it together

1. Wash the vegetables and herbs. Drain and rinse the ready-to-eat chickpeas.
2. Combine chickpeas, cucumber, tomato and onion in a bowl.
3. Stir together the oil and half the lime juice. Toss through the salad.
4. Taste, add more lime if you want it sharper, and finish with the herbs and pepper.

Make it your meal

Serve as a side, spoon it into a wrap, or pair it with another part of your meal. If raw onion is too strong, leave it out. Swap the herbs for ones you enjoy.

The serving suggestion does not set your personal nutrition requirements. No calorie or protein totals have been calculated. Chickpeas may not suit everyone; check ingredients and your own allergies or tolerance.

Keep the useful idea: a ready-to-eat bean, a crisp vegetable and a dressing you like are enough to begin.