This easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has the crunch of fresh vegetables mixed with chickpeas, olives, fresh herbs and a light dressing. This salad is a great side dish for a potluck or healthy lunch during the week. It also holds up well so can be made ahead of time for your weekly meal-prep!

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

Chickpea salads are some of my favorite salads to make all year long.

They are so easy to put together, a healthy salad option, a great way to use up leftover herbs and produce and hold up well all week long.

When I am invited to a get together one of my favorite things to bring is a salad, especially a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.

I love chickpea salads and make a lot of variations like this Greek Chickpea Salad, Chickpea Herb Salad, Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad and this Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad.

Today’s Chickpea Salad recipe is one I make not only for get togethers but for lunches as part of my meal prep.

It mixes together fresh veggies, chickpeas, kalamata olives, fresh dill and fresh parsley and is topped with a light dressing.

It is a vegan chickpea salad recipe that is also gluten-free.

This salad holds up very well, so you can make this salad a couple of days ahead and even use it for an easy lunch throughout the week.

If you want this salad to be a side to your main meal it works well with these Shish Taouk Chicken Thighs, Tandoori Grilled Chicken or Grilled Beef Kafta Kebabs. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD RECIPE?

CHICKPEAS: This easy mediterranean salad uses canned chickpeas { garbanzo beans } as the main protein. You can also use white beans or red kidney beans if you like.

Chickpeas are such a great source of protein and great for snacking too. Try this Crunchy Roasted Chickpea recipe for a quick snack. 

FRESH VEGETABLES: The fresh vegetables are one of my favorite parts of this salad.

You can use whatever you have on hand. I used cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper and orange bell pepper. Other ideas are cauliflower, zucchini, poblanos, celery and carrots. 

FRESH HERBS: I am a big fan of using a lot of fresh herbs in salads to add flavor.

This salad has fresh dil and fresh Italian parsley in it. Other ideas to add are cilantro, basil or fresh mint.

THE DRESSING: I made a simple lemon dressing for this salad with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice. You can add spices to your salad if you like.

Try sumac, za’atar, cumin or paprika. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS CHICKPEA SALAD

COMBINE INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl combine the chickpeas, english cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, red onion, parsley and dill. 

MIX TOGETHER THE DRESSING: In a salad dressing container or small mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and dijon mustard.

Taste and add salt and black pepper to taste. 

ADD THE DRESSING TO THE SALAD: Pour dressing over the salad and mix to coat the salad.

REFRIGERATE THE SALAD: Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together if you can. This also gives the chickpeas time to absorb the dressing.

MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD:

BEANS: Aside from chickpeas you could add white beans, red beans or black beans to this salad.

CHEESE: My favorite cheese to add to a chickpea salad is feta cheese. You also could add goat cheese or blue cheese if you like.

VEGETABLES: When I make a chickpea salad I like to clean out my fridge with whatever veggies I have. Some that work nicely are carrots, celery, radish, green onions, red onions or jalapeños.

SPICES: Spices are a nice way to add flavor to the salad dressing. Some good ones are sumac, za’atar, cumin, paprika or oregano.

PROTEIN: If you want to make the salad more filling try adding grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon or cubed steak.

SWEETNESS: If you want a touch of sweetness in this salad add honey to the dress. I would start with 1 teaspoon and go from there.

OTHER INGREDIENTS: There are a variety of other ingredients that you might like to add. Try artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, creamy avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, black olives, pickled vegetables or pickled red onion.

TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS CHICKPEA SALAD

MARINATING: The simple vinaigrette adds a lot of flavor to the salad. Allow the salad to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. This also gives the chickpeas time to absorb the dressing.

CHILLED: Chickpea salad is best served cold, so make sure to refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.

RINSE AND DRAIN: When you rinse and drain the chickpeas this helps remove excess salt and starch from the chickpeas which in turn provides more texture and flavor in the salad.

ADJUST SEASONING: Taste the salad as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar to balance the flavors.

STORAGE: This salad holds up really well and makes a great leftover salad.

It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like to add a bit more dressing when I eat it again because it often gets soaked up by the chickpeas and vegetables.

WAYS TO USE THIS MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

Add it to a wrap like this Beef Shawarma Wrap, sandwiches, inside a pita pocket, on flatbread or as a topping on a pita pizza like this Spiced Ground Lamb Pita or this Greek Beef Pita Pitza.

Top a rice bowl or hummus bowl with this chickpea salad. I love adding it to this Greek Quinoa Bowl, Mediterranean Salmon Bowl, Mediterranean Buddha Bowl or this Mediterranean Hummus Bowl.

This salad is great alongside a protein like these Lebanese Meat Pies, Black Sea Bass, Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs or this Air Fryer Cod.

Serve this over a bed of leafy greens, arugula or serve it with lettuce wraps.

OTHER SALADS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

SUMMER ORZO PASTA SALAD

SHIRAZI SALAD

EASY LEBANESE SALAD

JENNIFER ANISTON SALAD

LEMON ARUGULA SALAD

TOMATO CUCUMBER FETA QUINOA SALAD

MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD