Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

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Mediterranean chickpea salad is a refreshing and delicious recipe that's perfect for summer. Tossed in a tangy dressing and will soon be your favorite healthy salad to enjoy as a light lunch or side dish that will absolutely be a Whole Lotta Yum!

mediterranean chick pea salad being served.

This Mediterranean Salad with Chickpeas is so healthy!

The combination of colorful ingredients in this chickpea salad creates a lovely array of flavors. The chickpeas add a mild earthiness, while the cucumbers and onions add a satisfying crunch. The tomatoes lend a sweetness, and the feta cheese provides a salty taste. All of these flavors are enhanced by the mild tang of the simple citrusy dressing.

I love that because of how simple this recipe is that you can, with an ingredient or two, alter the flavors to your liking. Give it a creamy touch with diced avocado. I'd wait until serving to add it though.

I know we've all been told to eat the rainbow, if you love a healthy colorful salad try this arugula burrata salad with peaches, our thai chopped salad with chicken or this simple but delicious keto cobb salad.

Great for meal prep- when you're short on time during the week, meal prep salads like these make weekly lunches easy.
Super yummy- simple to adapt by adding fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh dill, or even cilantro.
Quick and easy! Easy to put together ahead of time. A great healthy salad for a backyard BBQ.
Healthy - Just 181 calories, plus gluten free, keto friendly, and low carb.

Ingredients list

Canned chickpeas - Make it easy and use canned chickpeas that have been drained well. If you have canned garbanzo beans, then you can also use those also as they are chickpeas.
Mini cucumbers - I prefer to use mini or Persian cucumbers due to their higher skin-to-flesh ratio, smaller seeds, and lower water content. However, using a large cucumber is an option as well. Slice them into quarter-inch circles, then into quarters.
Grape tomatoes - Sweet cherubs are a delicious tomato option, but you can also use cherry tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes.
Chopped bell pepper - Any combination of colorful bell peppers is great. Red pepper, green pepper, yellow, or orange will really make this salad colorful.
Red onion - 1 red onion finely chopped. Smaller dice evenly distribute the flavor, whereas slices may be too overwhelming. Use white onion in place of red onion.
Flat leaf parsley - Use a rough chop of the leafy greens, avoid using the stems.
Feta - About 4 ounces of cubed Feta cheese.
Salt - Use any fine sea salt.
Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice or bottled would be fine. If using fresh, it's about 1 lemon worth. Lime juice can also be used if needed.
Olive oil - Extra virgin olive oil is best for flavor
Apple cider vinegar - ACV is best for flavor, Braggs is my favorite. Use red wine vinegar in a pinch.

** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **

Variations

Without cheese: Leave the feta cheese out for a vegan chickpea salad.
Extra ingredients: Add other ingredients like mild black olives, or kalamata olives, other kinds of beans, or pine nuts. Add more protein with grilled chicken or sliced hard-boiled eggs.
More flavor: Spice up the chickpeas with some fresh herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roasted chickpeas are also absolutely delicious.

Kitchen tools

Large bowl

How to Make Healthy Chickpea Salad

Combine the dried chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and feta in a big bowl. Add salt and keep it aside.

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar until the oil separates.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Chill for an hour or serve right away.

chickpea salad mixed together in a bowl.

Dietary swaps

As written our salad recipe is low carb and gluten free.

Dairy free: Easily dairy free by eliminating the feta cheese.
Whole30: To make this recipe whole30 compliant you'll have to remove the chickpeas and feta cheese. Also, swap out the red onion for the white onion.

Jenn's Tips

By cutting the vegetables into smaller pieces, they can absorb more of the flavor from the dressing.
Wait until serving to add the feta cheese to the salad. This will ensure it's as fresh as possible. In addition to feta, try goat cheese.

🥡 Storing and Reheating

Storing: Store your chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Because of the freshness and water content in this salad freezing this salad recipe is not recommended.

Reader questions

What to serve with?

Chickpea salad is a great recipe to make alongside any lamb, steak, chicken or fish dish. Try this chickpea salad recipe as a main dish and serve it up in a pita pocket, with pita chips and a side of hummus.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes, you can make Mediterranean chickpea salad ahead of time. This is beneficial to let the flavors develop even further. Once you've prepared the chickpea salad store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.

Do canned chickpeas need to be cooked?

You can enjoy canned chickpeas right out of the can as they have been precooked already. Once they've been drained and rinsed they are ready to add to any salad or soup. Pat them dry, season them and they can be roasted in the oven and served as a snack.

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