Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Quick and easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, made with bell peppers, crisp, cool cucumber, and creamy feta. Makes fast, healthy lunches, side or great for meal-prep.

It’s highly nutritious, rich in protein and fiber, and gluten-free! Skip the feta cheese and use some avocado to make it vegan.

 

 

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is made with hearty chickpeas, colorful bell peppers, crisp, cool cucumbers, fresh herbs, and creamy feta.

Protein and fiber-rich chickpeas make it a hearty vegetarian main. Serve it as a main or as an easy side dish with some chicken, or seafood.

My family loves Mediterranean food. Healthy and rich in flavors, Mediterranean cuisine is one of my favorite cuisines. I make Mediterranean food quite often at home. Moroccan Chickpea Soup is one of my popular soup recipes on my blog.

I do a lot of meal prep and find this Mediterranean salad keeps well for long. We can enjoy this salad as is or have it a wrap. This fiber and protein-rich Mediterranean Chickpea salad is satisfying and keeps you full for longer.

WHY MAKE THIS SALAD

You will love this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. It takes only 15 minutes to make this fabulous salad. This salad is packed with fiber and protein-rich chickpeas, nutritious veggies, and fresh herbs. This chickpea salad is great on its own or enjoy in a wrap, great to feed an army or for a meal-prep.

I like to keep the dressing for this salad simple. The dressing consists of some good quality extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey to balance the flavors, and some salt and pepper. Super simple, yet highly addictive!

For extra flavor, you can add some roasted ground cumin, or sumac, a middle eastern spice blend. Fresh minced cloves of garlic or some garlic powder, and red chili flakes to add some heat to the salad. Jalapeno pepper can be used for some heat, deseed for mild flavor. Lemon zest can be used in combination with lemon juice.

I like this salad at room temperature, it tastes fabulous. If you are looking for something light and refreshing for lunch, try this salad.

I always make a big batch of this salad and keep it in the refrigerator. It makes excellent fast, and healthy meals in no time.

Pic Shown: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

 

 

HOW TO MAKE MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

This chickpea salad is one of the easiest recipes, made with a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients.

The star ingredient of this recipe is chickpeas or garbanzo beans. I always make a batch of chickpeas and store it in the refrigerator. Make quick and healthy meals, in no time. I use dried beans and cook chickpeas in Instant Pot. Here’s How to cook chickpeas using dried beans. 

The recipe calls for 2, 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. Make sure to rinse the can chickpeas to avoid any excess sodium.

Bell peppers add sweetness, nice color, and crunch to this salad. I used some green bell pepper, as that’s what I had at the time. For a medley of colors, use mixed color bell peppers such as red, yellow, orange, or green.

Crisp and cool cucumbers add a light and refreshing taste to the salad. I used one medium English cucumber. It’s absolutely fine to use any other variety of cucumber. I normally like to peel the cucumber, feel free to leave the peel on.

Red onions have a mild flavor and are best used in salads. If you find onions strong, soak the onion in cold water for a few minutes. This helps remove some of the strong, pungent flavors from the onion.

Pic Shown: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

 

 

INGREDIENTS FOR MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

2 – 15 oz. canned chickpeas drained and rinsed, or use 3 cups boiled chickpeas

1 medium English cucumber, diced

1-pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved

1-2 stalks of celery, diced (optional)

1 medium green bell pepper, diced; or mixed bell peppers

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2-3/4 cup green or black olives, halved

1/3-1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese; For vegan, use avocado

handful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

few mint or basil leaves, finely chopped 

FOR THE DRESSING

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon honey or preferred sweetener; For vegan, use agave

juice of 1 lemon, adjust to taste

freshly ground black pepper, adjust to taste

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

In a small bowl or a mason jar, add olive oil, honey, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, add chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, celery (optional), and onion. 

Note: Feta and olives are quite salty by themselves. Add salt cautiously.

Add olives, crumbled feta, cilantro, and mint. Pour dressing over the chickpea salad. Toss to combine.

Cover and refrigerate the salad.

Note: Refrigerate the salad for a minimum of 30 minutes. It allows flavors to blend in well.

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad stays fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Note: If storing the salad, add cheese before serving.

Pic Shown: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

 

 

TIPS FOR THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

DICE OR CHOP VEGGIES

Dice or chop the veggies into bite-size pieces. Keep the veggies the same size. Looks appetizing and is easy to bite on.

FETA OR GOAT CHEESE

Crumbled feta cheese is used in this recipe. Goat cheese or feta cheese, both work fine.

VEGAN OPTION

Skip the cheese to make this salad vegan or use avocado or some vegan cheese.

HERBS OF CHOICE

Fresh herbs add a nice aroma to this salad. Herbs such as cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, or add herbs of your choice.

PREFERRED SWEETENER

I prefer the mild flavor of honey in the salad. Honey, agave, or sweetener of your choice may be used.

Use extra virgin olive oil for the dressing. Olive oil keeps the salad light and refreshing.

LEMON OR LIME

Fresh lemon or lime juice works fine in this recipe. Lemon or lime juice adds refreshing flavor, and a slight tang and keeps the salad from losing its vibrant color.

Use salt sparsely, as feta cheese and olives are quite salty.

REFRIGERATE BEFORE SERVING

Cover and keep the salad refrigerated for a minimum of 30 minutes for all the flavors to blend in well.

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad stays fresh for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Skip the cheese and store it in an airtight container. Add cheese before serving the salad.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW TO STORE THE CHICKPEA SALAD

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad can be enjoyed as is at room temperature.

If you like greens, serve it over a bed of fresh salad greens, or simply toss some salad greens with the chickpea salad and enjoy.

Enjoy this chickpea salad in a wrap or a pita bread. Stuff the pita bread with some chickpea salad, drizzle some dressing over it, and enjoy.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS

To make ahead, chop the veggies – cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Prepare the dressing and store it in a mason jar for up to a week in the refrigerator.

WHAT GOES WITH CHICKPEA SALAD

This salad pairs well with some grilled or roasted veggies, grilled chicken, and baked or pan-seared seafood.

 Pic Shown: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

 

 

★ If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback. Please rate the recipe and/or leave a comment below.

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