Name: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 garlic clove (, minced); 1 teaspoon fine sea salt ((I use Real Salt brand)); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 red onion (, diced); 1 red bell pepper (, seeds removed & diced); 1 large cucumber (, diced (optional to remove seeds)); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (, sliced in half); 1/4 cup fresh dill (, minced); 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley (, minced); 2 (15-ounce cans) chickpeas (, rinsed and drained); 3 ounces crumbled feta ((optional; omit for vegan salad))

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This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is a fast & refreshing salad that you can stir together in just minutes. It’s the perfect recipe to bring to a potluck, and makes an easy packed lunch, too!

Whether you serve it as a main course or as a side dish, it’s sure to be a hit. Try serving it with Eggplant Lasagna or Whole Roasted Cauliflower, for a veggie-packed meal. Or try adding cooked chicken on top, for extra protein.

Need a vegan recipe? This recipe is vegan friendly when you leave off the feta cheese. You can add a dollop of hummus, instead, for added creaminess.

Why You’ll Love It

– It’s made with simple ingredients. All you need is a couple cans of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), plus some fresh ingredients that you may already have in the fridge.

– It’s filling. Since chickpeas contain both fiber and protein, this salad is much more hearty than a leafy green salad.

– It’s packed with flavor. Using fresh herbs, like dill and parsley, take the flavor over the top! It’s perfect during the Spring and Summer months, when fresh herbs are at their peak.

– It’s easy to prepare. All you need is one bowl for mixing, and a cutting board, to chop everything up. Depending on how fast you can chop a few veggies, this salad comes together quickly!

– You can customize it. If you don’t have an ingredient on hand, it’s easy to swap it for something else with this recipe. You can taste as you go! It’s also easy to add something like olives, if that’s your preference. (I’m not an olive fan over here.)

How to Make Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

1. Prepare the dressing.

In the bottom of a large bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Whisk well, and let the dressing rest as you chop the veggies.

(The lemon juice will help mellow the garlic flavor as it sits.)

2. Chop the veggies.

Dice the red onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs. The smaller you dice them, the more different flavors and textures you’ll enjoy in each bite!

Add the veggies to the bowl of dressing as you go, so they can start marinating.

3. Add the chickpeas.

Open the canned chickpeas, then drain them into a fine mesh strainer and rinse well. Transfer the drained chickpeas to the bowl of veggies and dressing, and toss well.

4. Marinate.

Let the chickpeas, veggies, and herbs marinate in the dressing for at least 15 minutes before serving, for the best flavor. If you’d like to stir in some feta crumbles, for extra creaminess and saltiness, you can add that now, too.

Taste and adjust any seasoning to taste, then serve right away. This salad is delicious chilled, or at room temperature shortly after you make it.

You can store this chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It becomes more soggy as it sits, so I don’t recommend storing it much longer than that!

Substitutions

Can I use vinegar instead of lemon juice? If you don’t have lemon juice on hand, you can use 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar for a similar flavor. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar should also work similarly.

Can I use different herbs? Sure! You can use fresh mint or basil instead of the dill, if you like.

Can I use less salt? Of course! The salt in this recipe is just a suggestion based on my taste preferences. If you need to follow a low-sodium diet, feel free to start with less, and season to your liking. Keep in mind that the salty flavor will mellow as this recipe marinates, so if it tastes salty at first, it won’t necessarily taste as salty when you serve it.