Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Mediterranean chickpea salad is the ultimate summer salad. Chickpeas are tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, feta, and parsley for a salad that’s light enough for an easy lunch and hearty enough for a dinner side dish.
The real pantry staple MVP is none other than a solid can of chickpeas. They’re utterly versatile in the sense that you can blend them into creamy hummus, roast into a bite sized snack, or use them as a vegan protein substitute for a filling salad.
In this case, we’re taking the salad route and making chickpeas the star of this dish. Accompanied by cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, feta cheese, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette – this is one hearty and vibrant salad filled with mediterranean flavors. It’ll keep you nice and full no matter how you serve it. And bonus, it makes for the perfect summer meal prep.
Chickpea Nutritional Benefits
Not only do chickpeas add a deliciously nutty taste to recipes, but they work wonders for your body and gut health. Here’s how.
- They have an amazing nutritional profile that provides a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
- They provide a heavy dose of soluble fibers to help feed the “good” gut bugs in your microbiome, which can also help with digestive issues.
- They’re the perfect plant-based protein option that keeps you full and your appetite in control.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Ingredients
A salad that’s simple on ingredients but big on flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chickpeas: We’re keeping this simple by using canned chickpeas. But you can soak dried chickpeas as well. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse and drain them before tossing into the salad.
- Vegetables: I find myself coming back to these few ingredients – and for good reason. Cucumbers, red bell peppers, red onions, and cherry tomatoes are a marriage of bright flavors and a refreshing crunch.
- Cheese: I’m using crumbled feta cheese to give it a Mediterranean flair.
- Herbs: Sprinkling in a bit of chopped parsley for a pop of freshness.
- Dressing: To maintain this salad’s light profile, I’m using my homemade lemon vinaigrette for just the right amount of zest.
How to Make This Chickpea Salad
One of the reason why I love this salad so much is that it’s incredibly easy to make. Just quickly slice and dice the vegetables, drain the chickpeas, toss everything in a bowl, then finish with a drizzle on the lemon vinaigrette. Done!
Ways To Serve This
While the name says salad, there’s room for creativity when it comes to serving.
- Salad: For an easy and light lunch, this salad will be your best friend. Plus, it keeps well for meal prepping ahead of time and storing in your bento box for the week.
- Side Dish: Serve this alongside chicken souvlaki or baked tuna meatballs to round out your dinner.
- Sandwich: Turn this into a smashed chickpea sandwich by first smashing your chickpeas in a large bowl with a fork. Toss it with the rest of the ingredients, then layer it in between bread slices.
Chickpea Salad Variations
Like other salad recipes, there’s always little ingredients you can add to switch it up. Here’s a few ideas.
Switch up the vegetables: Amp up the flavors by adding fire roasted tomatoes, pickled red onions, and chopped avocados. And if you’re a fan of leafy greens, feel free to toss in chopped spinach.
Switch up the seasoning: You can use a greek salad dressing for a different flavor profile or add a sprinkle of paprika to give it a hint of smoke. But play around with different seasonings to your liking.
An Easy Meal Prep Salad
To meal prep: What’s great about this salad is that it stores well without getting soggy and wilted like other salads. Just make a big batch and portion it out throughout the week.
To store: This will store in the fridge for about 5 days in an airtight container.
More Easy And Healthy Salad Recipes
With the summer heat in full swing, these easy salad recipes come together in a snap.
Want more Mediterranean recipes? Check out this roundup of the Best Mediterranean Recipes (so many to choose from!).
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- lemon vinaigrette, you can use as much or as little as you'd like
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and give it a gentle stir.
- Transfer the salad to a large bowl and serve.
Lisa's Tips
- To meal prep: What's great about this salad is that it stores well without getting soggy and wilted like other salads. Just make a big batch and portion it out throughout the week.
- To store: This will store in the fridge for about 5 days in an airtight container.
- This is my favorite serving bowl for large salads, it's beautiful!
This chickpea salad is so so good! I substituted dill for the parsley since dill and feta cheese is one of my favorite combos. I’ll be making this a lot this summer!
This is definitely the ultimate summertime recipe!
I thought this was really tasty! We had it as a side with a salmon fillet. I am a sucker for vinegar or more of an acidic taste, so I would slightly modify the dressing next time.
Go for it! Glad you enjoyed this chickpea salad :)
I have never made a “homemade” salad dressing in my life. This lemon vinaigrette is so easy and naturally tasty.
Glad you were finally able to make homemade dressing the first time!
It was really yumm. The dressing too went very well with it.
Glad you loved this chickpea salad Sabitha!
Is this 8 servings for like a lunch size?
It can be for either lunch or dinner!
Sooo delicious! I highly recommend making this. The dressing compliments the salad perfectly.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Lauren!
This recipe is 10/10!! Good for travel! I made it for my mom and I on a trip to the Midwest, and we ate it in the MSP airport. So delicious, and my mom was impressed. Plus we didn’t have to eat airport food haha. Thanks Lisa!
Happy to hear both you and your mom got to enjoy this salad during your travels!
I’m single so if I make this full recipe, how long will this keep in the refrig? Will it get soggy?
Hi Lisa – this is a great salad to meal prep as it’s really sturdy. It will last for about 5 days in the fridge, no problem!
Made the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad and have been enjoying it all week! Love the lemon vinaigrette
Wonderful! Glad you got to enjoy this salad :)
This recipe was purely brilliant! I loved it so much. I am a big fan of salads and I think this one was by far the best salad I have ever made. The recommended dressing worked perfectly with all of the ingredients.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Happy to hear you’ve found a salad recipe you enjoy :)
I made this last week. It was delicious, easy to make and even a few days later was just as good if not better. Great Recipe Lisa.
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe Andrew :)
We love your salads, Lisa!
Your lentil salad has become a favorite at our house and this one will also. Thank you!
Amazing! Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed both recipes :)
Excellent recipes. – easy and healthy. Thank you v much.
Thanks so much Munira!
Tried it yesterday. So easy to make with ingredients I usually have at home on hand anyway, which is a big plus. And so delicious. My husband loved it too. The dressing adds a beautiful freshness to it.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Celine! :)
Hi Lisa,
Amazing salad! I mentioned on the instagram post that I was tired of leafy green salads and welcomed something different, but usual habits had me adding spinach anyways…🤷♀️ lol! I changed out the red onion for white since I find red a bit too strong for my palette, added some toasted sliver almonds and topped it all off with your lemon viniagrette dressing…. 😋😋😋
Glad I could help you switch up your normal salad rotation :)
Easy to make, healthy and sooo good. Thanks Lisa for again a great recipe ;-)
Glad you enjoyed this chickpea salad! :)
WOW that looks amazing, going to try it this week :-)
Can I ask you: are the nutrition numbers for the whole recipe, or per serving? Thanks!
The nutritional information will always be per serving! :)
Great, thanks a lot Lisa! :-)
OMG this has to be one of those salads that I actually feel like eating..Beautiful and so colorful
Always a good idea to add a rainbow of colors to your salads!
This Chickpea Salad is just the way I love it! Your Lemon vinaigrette sounds so flavorsome.
Thanks so much! :)
The chickpea salad that’s worth trying over and over again. The ingredients mix is just perfect if you ask me :-)
Glad you think so Elaine! It’s definitely one of the best ways to use up your can of chickpeas :)
Absolutely delicious – works well as a healthy lunch, or makes great side dish. Thank you!
Exactly! Hope you enjoy this one :)
Just made this tonight with fresh garbanzos. I absolutely love it and will be sharing. Thanks for a wonderful new salad
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Stephanie!
This is such a perfect summer salad! The chickpeas really make it hearty, and I love the brightness the lemon dressing adds.
Can never go wrong topping a salad off with a lemon dressing to brighten it up :)