Memorial day weekend is this approaching, and many like to celebrate with friends, family, and of course food. I want to share a new recipe that I recently came up with for a Greek garbanzo bean salsa that is perfect for a pot luck, picnic, or BBQ. Both black beans and garbanzo beans act as a base, then a few vegetables, fresh herbs, and feta cheese are layered in and topped with a lemon vinaigrette for a delicious and fresh tasting chunky dip that goes perfectly with pita chips.

The recipe is so simple that you don’t really need exact measurements, but I will give you an estimation of what I used.

Greek Garbanzo Bean Salsa 

• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (feel free to use any color, I went with orange)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh mint
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional – add before serving)

Lemon Vinaigrette

• Juice of one large lemon (about 1/8 of a cup)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Begin by making your vinaigrette. Whisk your olive oil into the lemon juice, then add the salt and pepper. Add all the salsa ingredients (minus the feta cheese) to a bowl and pour the lemon vinaigrette over the top and toss to coat the salsa with the vinaigrette. You can now refrigerate your salsa overnight for your party the next day or serve immediately. Add the feta cheese to the top before serving. This salsa pairs well with pita chips or warm pita wedges. I think it would also be so tasty on a gyro.

What are your favorite go-to potluck and BBQ salad/salsa/dip recipes? I think I love this one because of the fresh tasting ingredients and tart lemon flavor. Plus, I can eat an entire bowl of it without any chips and feel healthy and satisfied afterward. It is just that good!