In this Mediterranean chickpea salad recipe, chickpeas are tossed with colorful veggies, feta, and parsley. The homemade red wine vinegar dressing tops it off perfectly!
What is Mediterranean Chickpea Salad?
Mediterranean chickpea salad is a mixture of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) tossed with various vegetables, feta cheese, and parsley. Typically, mediterranean cuisine is made up of plant-based ingredients, with herbs and spices adding the bulk of the flavor in the dish. In this salad, the dressing, which is a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices, infuses flavor into each bite of salad.
Dietary Swap: Make the salad vegan by omitting the feta cheese, or using a vegan cheese substitute.
How to Make Chickpea Salad & Dressing
This chickpea salad takes only seven minutes to toss together! You’ll be chowing down on this healthy goodness in almost no time!
- Combine the salad ingredients: Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Shake the dressing: In a separate container or jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Shake until the mixture is well combined.
- Toss it together: Pour the dressing into the salad, toss together, and enjoy!
Hot Tip: To meal prep the salad, omit the feta cheese and dressing. Prepare and store the dressing in a small mason jar, then add to the salad right before serving!
Ingredient Variations
A great part about this salad is how easily customizable it is! If you don’t like one specific ingredient, omit or substitute with something different.
- Olives: Olives are incredibly popular in Mediterranean dishes. They’re a great source of good fat! The most popular olives for this salad are kalamata olives, but feel free to use your favorite!
- Herbs: Add fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, or cilantro for a nice green addition. Or, add a pinch of dried oregano or basil when you’re out of fresh herbs.
- Pickled veggies: Add a salty taste with pickled onions or a spicy kick with pickled jalapenos.
- Cheese: Instead of feta cheese, use goat cheese. Both have similar tangy and salty flavors.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes provide the most uniform look and tomato taste to the salad, but other varieties like grape tomatoes are good, too. Avoid larger tomatoes as they often have too much liquid and don’t keep their shape.
- Lemon juice: For an added citrus tang, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the dressing.
- Onion: We love red onions for their color and texture, but white or yellow onions are good in a pinch too.
- Garlic: Add minced garlic or garlic powder for a hint of sweetness.
Tips from the Kitchen
This recipe is loved for its flavors and fresh ingredients. Here are ways to add the most to your salad.
- Make the dressing in a small jar: Make the salad dressing in a jar with a lid. Combine the dressing ingredients in the jar, cover, then shake to mix it well.
- Cut all veggies similarly: For the most even flavor, cut all the veggies into similar sized pieces.
- Choose any variety of bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works in this salad. Green peppers tend to be a bit more bitter, whereas red bell peppers are sweeter. Choose your favorite!
- Use an English cucumber: For the best taste, use an English cucumber, as they tend to have softer skin and minimal seeds.
- Drain and wash the chickpeas: Before adding the chickpeas into the salad, make sure to drain and rinse the canning liquid from the chickpeas. A sieve works great for this!
Ways to Serve
Mediterranean chickpea salad is surprisingly full of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. The combination of veggies hit nearly all the important food groups, so the salad can be enjoyed not only as a side dish, but also on its own. When serving as a side dish, serve it with naan bread or pita bread and your choice of chicken, pork, or lamb kabob. Or, serve it with oven baked salmon. There’s no way to go wrong with this salad.
Storage Tips
For the freshest taste, consume the salad as quickly as possible – however, when you do have leftovers, place them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
FAQ
Should you rinse canned chickpeas before eating them?
It is best to drain and rinse canned chickpeas before adding them into the salad. This will cut the sodium (salt) content.
Are garbanzo beans and chickpeas the same?
Yes, garbanzo beans and chickpeas are the same thing. If you’re looking for canned chickpeas in your grocery store, they may be labeled as garbanzo beans.
More Unique Salads
- Mexican Street Corn Salad – Grilled corn kernels, cilantro, jalapeno, and cilantro tossed in a tangy dressing
- Olivier Potato Salad – Classic Russian salad featuring potatoes, ham, eggs, and veggies
- Fritos Chili Cheese Salad – This salad combined bell peppers, onion, and corn with Fritos and is always a hit
- Berry Spinach Salad – Packed with fresh berries and tangy feta in a garlic vinaigrette
Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 30 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Feta cheese crumbled
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine salad dressing in a jar, cover with a lid, then shake until well combined.
- Add dressing to the salad, toss together, and enjoy.
This looks so delicious, but the sodium content is way too high. Still, if I cook my own chickpeas and find low sodium feta, then cut salt in half... I am going to give it a try for sure. More on that later!
Hi Robin, yes, sodium can be controlled by reducing salt. Enjoy, its a good one.