Chickpea Salad Recipe (2024)

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This chickpea salad is a Mediterranean-style wholesome, vegetarian salad. However, it is not an ordinary salad – it is a flavor bomb packed with a lot of crunch and freshness. I am sure you are going to love it!

This is a truly Mediterranean-style salad with all my favorite things – Chickpeas (chana), Vegetables, Olives, Fresh Herbs, and a flavorsome homemade dressing.

I bet it is not going to disappoint the SALAD Lover in you.

Here are a few reasons to LOVE this salad recipe

meal prep friendly

vegetarian and gluten-free

high protein plant-based salad

healthy, wholesome, and fulfilling

possible vegan (skip the cheese)

perfect for the lunchbox, picnic, potluck, or mezze platter

Ingredients Required

Chickpeas: You need boiled/cooked chickpeas for this salad. Use either canned chickpeas (minus the liquid) or boil them from scratch at home.

Vegetables: Onion, Cucumber, Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper

Optional Add-Ons: Olives, Feta Cheese

Fresh Herbs: Cilantro or Coriander Leaves, Parsley

Salad Dressing: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Garlic

How To Make

Step 1) Get your chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled) ready by draining all the liquid from them. Let them sit on a strainer for a few minutes. If they are hot/warm, allow them to cool down completely before adding to a salad.

Step 2) Mix chickpeas, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a salad bowl.

What goes well with chickpeas in a salad?

Here are a few ingredients that taste delicious in a chickpea salad:

Capers
Pomegranate
Ripe Avocado
Colorful Olives
Cherry Tomato
Roasted Peppers
Fresh Sweet Basil
Walnuts or Pistachio
Spices – Cumin Powder, Za’tar, Smoked Paprika

…the possibilities are endless!

How do you make a good chickpea salad?

Follow these tried and true tips of mine to make a good chickpea salad.

Tip #1: DON’T BE STINGY when it comes to vegetables in a salad. Add as many colorful vegetables as you want.

Tip #2: ADD FLAVOUR TO CHICKPEAS. If you are boiling them from scratch, add garlic, bay leaf, salt, and olive oil while boiling them in water for extra flavor. If you are using canned chickpeas, coat them in a dry spice mix of – cumin powder, paprika, and za’atar.

Tip #3: PLAY WITH TEXTURES by adding nuts, olives, cheese, capers, or pomegranate to your chickpea salad.

Tip #4: MAKE IT A FEW HOURS BEFORE so that chickpeas absorb all the flavor of the dressing.

Tip #5: KEEP THE DRESSING SIMPLE. A simple olive oil lemon vinaigrette adds great flavor to the salad. You can get creative and pick from my 6 salad dressings recipes or the Indian-style green goddess salad dressing.

More Salad Recipes

Lentil Salad

Mixed Beans Salad

Crispy Noodle Salad

Creamy Macaroni Salad

Mung Bean Sprout Salad

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Chickpea Salad Recipe

This chickpea salad is a Mediterranean-style wholesome, vegetarian salad. Learn how to make chana salad in a few simple steps.

4 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 691kcal

Author: Hina Gujral

Salad Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

Ingredients For Salad

▢ 1 Cup (250 gram approx) canned or boiled chickpeas (see Note 1)
▢ ⅓ Cup onion, finely chopped
▢ ⅓ Cup cucumber, finely chopped
▢ ⅓ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
▢ ⅓ Cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
▢ ¼ Cup green olives, sliced
▢ ¼ Cup parsley, finely chopped
▢ ¼ Cup cilantro, finely chopped
▢ 2 tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled

Ingredients For Salad Dressing:

▢ ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Get your chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled) ready by draining all the liquid from them. Let them sit on a strainer for a few minutes. If they are hot/warm, allow them to cool down completely before adding to a salad.
Mix chickpeas, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a salad bowl.
Add all the ingredients for dressing/vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard) to a bottle. Close the lid. Shake to emulsify oil and lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
Pour dressing over the salad. Toss it gently to coat the chickpeas and vegetables in the dressing. Sprinkle feta cheese.
Chickpea Salad is ready to serve.

Recipe Notes:

Note 1) You can boil chickpeas (chana) at home for this salad. Soak dried chickpeas in water for 6 hours. Pressure cook them with 2 cups of water, salt, garlic, and bay leaf. Make sure they are firm and not overcooked/too soft. Allow them to cool down. Strain the liquid. Use for making salad or store in the refrigerator.

Note 2) For a vegan salad, do not add cheese. Except, for cheese, all the ingredients of this salad are vegan friendly.

Nutrition

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