This easy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has the crunch of fresh vegetables mixed with chickpeas, feta cheese, fresh herbs and a light lemon dressing. This salad is a great side dish for a potluck or healthy lunch during the week.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA SALAD

As warmer weather approaches I am here to load you guys up with salad recipes that you can use for potlucks, picnics and bbqs.

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

I often have a hard time deciding between this Easy Lebanese Salata, Greek Chickpea Salad or my favorite Lebanese Tabbouleh. 

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

It holds up very well, so you can make this salad a couple of days ahead. I like to serve this summer salad with Shish Taouk Chicken Thighs, Tandoori Grilled Chicken or Grilled Beef Kafta Kebabs. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS CHICKPEA SALAD?

CHICKPEAS: This easy salad uses chickpeas 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 tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and jalapeños. 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 curly parsley and mint in it. Other ideas to add are cilantro, dill and basil. 

FETA CHEESE: Feta is one of my favorite cheeses in bean and pasta salads. If you don’t like feta, feel free to leave it out. You can also use other cheeses in this salad, like mozzarella, sharp cheddar or goat cheese. 

THE DRESSING: I made a simple lemon dressing for this salad with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. You can add spices to your salad if you like. Try sumac, za’atar, cumin or paprika. 

MODIFICATIONS AND COOKING TIPS FOR THIS CHICKPEA SALAD:

• This recipe uses chickpeas but feel free to try white beans, black beans or red kidney beans. Speaking of beans, if you like bean salads check out my most popular salad recipe for this Mediterranean Bean Salad. 

• When it comes to vegetables you can load your salad up with anything you have on hand. I like the jalapeños for a bit of spice but feel free to leave those out. 

• I added feta cheese to this salad. Other cheeses I like are goat cheese, cheddar, sharp mozzarella or pepper jack.

• Fresh herbs are your friend in this salad. Load up with anything you have on hand or find at the farmers market. Fresh basil, dill and cilantro are also nice additions. 

• This salad is great a few days later so feel free to make it ahead of time. I like to add more dressing once I am ready to serve the salad. 

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Macaroni Salad // RecipeTin Eats : Macaroni Salad makes a terrific summertime lunch and is made for taking to gatherings. Simple to prepare and as diverse as you want it to be, this is a great classic pasta salad. 

Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad // Stuck on Sweet : Fresh grilled sweet corn, zucchini and tomatoes make this salad a winner in the warm months. 

Cold Thai Cucumber Noodle Salad // Sarcastic Cooking : Cold Thai cucumber noodle salad is light, spicy, and majorly crunchy. Spiralized cucumber “noodles”, cabbage, and green onions tossed with a light, spicy, peanut butter dressing. 

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Chickpea Salad

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette has the crunch of fresh vegetables mixed with chickpeas, paprika and cumin and topped with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. This makes a great side dish to any meal or healthy lunch during the week.

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Ingredients

For the chickpea salad

• 2 - 16 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 english cucumber, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced or sliced
• 6 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

For the dressing

• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• Spice of your choice {sumac, za'atar, cumin or paprika are nice}

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, jalapeños, feta cheese, parsley and mint.
2. In a salad dressing container or small mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and spice of your choice.
3. Pour dressing over the salad and mix to coat the salad.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional fresh herbs.
5. Chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.