Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad is full of fresh end of summer vegetables and topped with a light, lemony dressing. This salad makes a great addition to a BBQ, a side dish to your Mediterranean meals or an easy on-the-go lunch.
Is anyone else soaking up every last bit of summer? School may be back in session, but my grill is still going strong. Late summer produce, like ripe tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and fresh herbs, is at its peak, and I can’t get enough.
Fresh salads are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the season’s bounty. This Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad and my Eggplant Salad are two go-tos. If you’ve been around for a while, you know summer salads are a staple around here.
A few of my favorites so far have included Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad, Persian Tomato Cucumber Salad, Fattoush and this Mediterranean Bean Salad.
What I love most is how easy these are to prep ahead, perfect for weekday lunches or quick dinners. Today’s Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad combines grilled eggplant, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and green onions, all tossed in a zesty lemon dressing and finished with a pinch of za’atar or sumac.
You can easily customize it by adding feta cheese, pita chips, zucchini, or bell peppers for extra flavor and texture.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Eggplant: Use Globe (American) or Italian eggplant—both have a meaty texture and hold up well in salads after grilling or roasting.
- Chickpeas: Stir in a can of drained chickpeas for protein. For extra crunch, use roasted or crispy chickpeas.
- Vegetables: Combine chopped Roma tomatoes, English cucumber, and green onions for a fresh, balanced mix.
- Dressing: A light lemon dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and a Mediterranean spice like za’atar or sumac adds bright, tangy flavor.
Ways to Modify This Eggplant Salad
- Cheese: Add crumbled feta or goat cheese.
- Herbs: Use fresh basil, oregano, or parsley.
- Beans: Mix in white beans, chickpeas, or black beans.
- Protein: Top with grilled salmon, shrimp, chicken, or steak.
- Vegetables: Try bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, radish, carrots, or celery.
- Olives: Add chopped Kalamata or green olives.
- Greens: Toss in arugula, romaine, chard, or spinach.
- Spices: Season with cayenne, crushed red pepper, sumac, or Greek oregano.
- Eggplant: Use Chinese, globe, Italian, or Japanese eggplant.
How to Make Eggplant Chickpea Salad
Step 1: Prepare Eggplant: Chop the eggplant into 1-inch rounds. Sprinkle each eggplant slices with salt on both sides and let sit for 30 minutes {this helps to remove bitterness}. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
Step 2: Grill Eggplant: Pre-heat grill to medium heat. Drizzle eggplant with the 3 Tablespoons olive oil and grill until tender and browned, about 5 minutes per side. Let cool completely and then dice up the eggplant.
Step 3: Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large bowl combing the eggplant, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions and parsley and mix.
Step 4: Create Dressing: In a small mixing bowl or mason jar combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and spice of your choice. Mix well.
Step 5: Add Dressing to Salad: Drizzle the dressing on the salad and gently toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve as a side dish or add a scoop to grilled chicken or fish or to a pita sandwich.
Storage Tips
Store the leftover salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Once you are ready to eat the leftovers you may want to add more dressing to the salad and more fresh herbs to brighten the salad.
Recipe FAQ
After cutting the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 20–30 minutes. This draws out moisture and bitterness. Pat dry before cooking.
Allow the salad to sit for 15–20 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld.
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Mediterranean Eggplant Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1- inch rounds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 of an english cucumber, diced
- 5 green onions, chopped {about 1 cup of chopped green onion}
- 2 cups freshly chopped parsley
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of your favorite spice {I like sumac or za’atar in this salad}
Instructions
- Chop the eggplant into 1-inch rounds. Sprinkle each eggplant slices with salt on both sides and let sit for 30 minutes {this helps to remove bitterness}. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Pre-heat grill to medium heat.
- Drizzle eggplant with the 3 Tablespoons olive oil and grill until tender and browned, about 5 minutes per side. Let cool completely and then dice up the eggplant.
- In a large bowl combing the eggplant, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions and parsley and mix.
- In a small mixing bowl or mason jar combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and spice of your choice. Mix well.
- Drizzle the dressing on the salad and gently toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve as a side dish or add a scoop to grilled chicken or fish or to a pita sandwich.
Notes
- There are many additions that would be nice in this salad. A few are: feta cheese, white beans, bell peppers, jalapeños, zucchini and grilled chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
